I did not sleep with Jess!
by Hatchspeut
Summary: Six words Lorelai never thought she would hear herself say.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything except (hopefully) the brain I used to write this piece. All rights to the rightful owners.

Plot: After the heated argument between Luke and Jess in season 4 ep. 13 'Nag Hammadi Is Where They Found the Gnostic Gospel **'** , Jess doesn't stay in touch with any of residents of Stars Hollow for years. When he finally does appear again, it is with a surprise in the back pocket. Complications are to be expected. Especially for Lorelai…

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 **Chapter 1: "I'm counting on you."**

The engine rattled in the most alarming manor, it shrieked from the wheel axle every time he took a turn and since he left the highway the air condition was no more. In fact that the car was running at all, being in the state it was in, was a miracle in its own.

"Stars Hollow," Jess sighed as he read the familiar sign alongside of the road. It was the one place he never thought he'd return to. Up until this moment, when he saw the sign, he had actually pretended he was going somewhere else. There were so many memories connected to this place. Some good, but for the most part overloaded with complicated emotions: regret, hurt, pain... all mixed up and twisted. Conflicts of mind and heart.

Jess sighed again. If only Stella had been here with him. After all it was her idea that he should go back. She was the one who had urged him to return to make peace with the past. He had told her she was silly, that he was fine, but he wasn't. There were pain buried deep down inside them that threatened to consume him. Stella had said he needed to go back in order to move forward and he desperately needed to move forward. So much promising things were happening in his life right now that he couldn't afford to be held back.

So here he was, driving the same old car that had taken him away from Stars Hollow two years earlier, wishing he was heading somewhere else.

Jess glanced at his passenger.

"I'm really not looking forward to this, you know," he heavily admitted. "I can't believe I let Stella talk me into this. It's nuts! I should be back in Philly working on the book, not here."

His passenger didn't answer. Jess pulled a hand through his hair. It had grown longer since he last time he was here. He used less products in it too, only a small click of mousse to hold the curls back from his face. Stella had made him quit all of that about a year ago, claiming she couldn't stand smell of it. So now he was going for a more natural, cleaned up look. He wasn't the rebellious teenager anymore, but a hard working young man. His friends back in Philly said he had this Italian hunk thing going on. Jess disagreed. Looking at his own reflection in the back mirror he only saw someone who could do well with a few hours sleep.

He had left Philadelphia right after work and had since only made one stop to pick up his passenger. It was getting late now. The sun had set long ago.

Jess scratched his cheek to keep the tiredness away. The thin black shadow had started to grow on his chin. In all the hurry this morning, he had forgot to shave. If Stella was here she would have made him stop the car and shave at the nearest gas station, on the side of the road if she had too.

But Stella wasn't here so Jess didn't stop. He was too tired to start looking for a razor in his bag pack. He'd probably only cut himself too if he tried shaving in this light anyway. Besides, a little beard would do no difference to the outcome of the conversation he would most likely have tonight. Luke had never bothered to shave every day.

 _Luke._

The thought of his uncle made Jess' belly to turn into a knot. He hadn't been able to swallow a single bite at lunch because of his upset stomach. Every time he let his mind wander the same question popped up: What would Luke say when Jess walked into the diner tonight after two years of radio silence? Would he be happy? Mad? Would he yell? Jess wouldn't blame his uncle if he yelled.

Inside his head the end of the last conversation he had with Luke played on repeat: _You see, this is your problem. You're gonna help people whether they want it or not. You have to fix everything. You have to fix everyone. You think it makes you a good guy, but really it just makes you a pain in the ass. You make it, so that when people fail you, you get to feel like the martyr and they get to fell like, not only did they screw up, but they also disappointed you. You interfere and you make everything worse. No one is asking for your help. No one wants your help. Focus on your own life and leave everyone else alone!_

How Jess regretted ever saying those words. He had regretted them from the second they had left his mouth. Back then he hadn't been man enough to apologize. Like the little brat he had been, he had fled the scene with the image of Luke's face glued to his mind. He had hurt Luke so deeply.

"I never meant it to, though," Jess whispered out loud in the car as the first houses started to appear on both sides of the road. "I never meant to hurt any of them who lives here. It's just... I was in a really bad place back then. I know it doesn't justify my action, but..." He sighed. "I just hope Luke will listen to me."

Jess adjusted his grip around the steering wheel. There were many things he regretted doing in his life, hurting Luke was one of the things he regretted the most. Lorelai had been right, he had been a jerk back then who didn't care if he hurt the people closest to him.

"Luke only tried to help me. I know it now and I think I knew back then too, I just wasn't ready to accept help."

He glanced at his passenger as he put his foot on the brake to take down the speed. _Wouldn't want to set off any traffic cameras or whatever Taylor has installed during my absence_ , Jess thought grimly to himself. It wouldn't surprise him if Taylor had put up a Jess-warning system. He had never been one of Taylor's favorite persons. From the passenger seat, his passenger looked at him with curious eyes.

"I'm gonna need your help on this one, now that Stella isn't here. She was good at this kind of thing. She would have known what to say, what to do, but I guess I have to manage on my own now."

His passenger blinked, but remained silent.

"The plan is that I walk into the diner and just tell Luke I'm sorry and then take it from there. How does that sound?"

His passenger gave him a blank expression.

"Okay, so it is a lousy plan, but it's the only one I got. I haven't talked to the guy in two years, I don't know how he will react upon seeing me. He might shove me out the door. Last time I saw him I told him stay out of people's business. He's not likely to have forgotten about that."

Jess groaned and put his head against the steering wheel as the car came to a halt in front of the diner. This was a disaster just waiting to happen. He shouldn't have come here. He should turn around and go back to Philly and write on his book like ha was supposed to. This place held so many memories. So many bad ones they clouded the few good ones he had.

"Okay, new plan," he said, lifting his head from the steering wheel. "If things starts to get messy in there, I'm counting on you to turn things around, understood?"

His passenger smiled. With that as only reassurance, Jess killed the engine and unbuckled himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, except for (maybe) the head I used to write this piece.

Author: Happy to hear you all liked chapter 1 so much and thank you for the reviews. Now, let's find out who that mysterious passenger is...

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 **Chapter 2: "What is she? A cookie or something."**

Luke heard a car slow down nearby, but did not pay it much attention. It was probably just someone slowing down for that godforsaken traffic light Taylor had insisted upon a few years back. Why someone still hadn't torn it down amazed Luke. He had thought about doing it himself from time to time, but always come to the conclusion that Taylor would point his chubby finger at Luke's direction first if that ever happened. And Luke didn't want Taylor to point his chubby finger in his direction more than necessary. He wanted as little to do with Taylor as possible. It was bad enough that Taylor had opened the candy shop next to the diner.

It was late Friday night. The last lingering customers had finally come to their senses and gone home. Luke had half expected Lorelai to waltz in through the door, knowing she had her weekly family dinner at her parents house, but so far no Lorelai. Deciding that if she had not shown up yet, she probably wouldn't come either, Luke had started his closing routine. Every Friday when he closed up for the night he cleaned the diner a little extra so that the early Saturday morning customers would wake up to a newly brewed cup of coffee in a sparkling clean diner. He had done it this way ever since he opened the diner and would probably continue doing so until he couldn't work no more. If Lorelai had known how important this routine was for him, she would have teased the living hell out him.

He had finished sweeping the floor, wiping of ketchup from the tables and was halfway through disinfecting the counter when the doorbell rang. Without looking up Luke said: "We're closed. Come again tomorrow."

The door closed, but the presence remained in the room.

"Hi, uncle Luke."

Luke almost got himself a whiplash the way he snapped his head up in surprised. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. _Jess!_

Jess stood on the opposite side of the counter, but it wasn't the Jess he remembered. Gone was the black leather jacket, the sprawling hair a bird could get lost in and the mocking attitude. Instead it was a neatly dressed Jess, in blazer and jeans with the dark hair pulled back, that stood in front of him. Only the face and the obscenely large print on his white t-shirt connected this new Jess with the one he remembered storming out of the diner two years ago and even the face looked different.

He'd aged, Luke noticed. The childhood softness on his cheeks was gone, instead Luke glimpsed the beginning of a black beard. The anger that had never seemed far off in the old Jess could not be seen in the face of this new Jess. He seemed... composed. Mature. Confident.

Luke didn't know what to do, even less what to say. Jess was back. After not hearing a single word from the boy in the last two years Luke had started to give up hope ever hearing from his nephew again. And yet here he was.

If it was the silence or the way Luke stared at him that made Jess uncomfortable, Luke didn't know. He only watched as Jess nervously shifted weight from one foot to the other, struggling to find something to say.

"This place looks just like I remember it." Jess chuckled, it sounded forced and died quickly.

Luke made a gesture to the east wall, to the huge window that wasn't facing the street.

"Taylor put up a candy shop next door."

Jess looked to where Luke was pointing.

"Oh, I see. Must have made you mad. To see him all the time."

Jess knew him too well.

"Excruciatingly mad."

Silence fell between them. This time it took them a whole long minute before any of them came up with something to say. Again it was Jess who beat him to it.

"You know, you could always put up a curtain if you don't want to see him..."

"I thought you were in California." It sounded almost accusing.

Jess shifted weight again.

"I've left California. It didn't work out with Jimmy," Jess explained. "I live in Philadelphia now. Working at this publishing company, Truncheon Books, and..."

"Jess," Luke interrupted again. This time with a much sharper voice. "What are you doing here?"

The question came over his lips before he could stop it. Once it was out it hung in the air between the two men like an old wet cloth threatening to suffocate them both. This time, when Jess cleared his throat to speak, it was with a lot less confidence.

"I came back to Stars Hollow because I want to introduce you to someone."

Jess made gesture towards the thing he held in left hand. Up until now Luke had ignored the thing, thinking it was a bag of some sort. It wasn't. It was an infant car seat, of the kind parents could carry their child with them in. A baby, no older than six months or so, peered curiously at him from bedding in it. Judging by the yellow bow in the dark hair it was a baby girl. When Luke's gaze met the little girl's, she cooed delightfully and started to drool.

Luke looked up at Jess in shock.

"You stole a baby!"

Jess' eyes narrowed.

"I didn't not steal her," he said offended.

"Borrowed her then?"

"No."

Kidnap?"

"No!"

"You know kidnap counts as stealing."

"Luke!"

"It's illegal to steal people even if they are cute and tiny."

"I did not kidnap her, Luke!" Jess blurted out in frustration. "She's mine. I made her."

Luke blinked. "Made her? What is she? A cookie or something." He leaned over the counter to have a better look at the girl. "She looks real enough for me."

Jess inhaled slowly to calm himself down before answering his uncle.

"Clara is my daughter."

Those words made Luke jaw drop to the floor and disappear under the counter.

"You daughter?" he repeated stupidly. He looked at the girl, then at Jess and then back at the girl. The resemblance was striking. The hair and the eyes. The eyes! They were identical. Two sets of the same eyes stared at him. One in annoyance, the other in dull delight.

Jess came forward and set down the car seat on the counter in front of Luke with baby facing him.

"Luke, I want you to meet my daughter Clara. Clara, this is you uncle Luke."

Clara cooed and reached out with her tiny little hands towards Luke. Luke stared at her in return. Jess had come back... a father?

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Don't forget to fave and review. I want to hear your opinions. Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Author: Ha! Earlier than expected. Happy Easter! To you all! And thanks for the reviews!

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 **Chapter 3: "Luke. Coffee. Now!"**

It was with a sulking pout on her lips and a sour mood to match it, that Lorelai stumbled her way through town to Luke's diner early Saturday morning. She hadn't had much sleep. Last night's fight with her mother echoed over and over again in her head, preventing her to feel even the slightest ounce of happiness. Once again her mother had managed to make her feel small, like a failure for still being single in her mid thirties. It didn't matter to her mother that Lorelai was happy and running her very own inn. She was still single and single women could not be attending charity events. For heaven forbid that two women would sit next to each other at the table!

Lorelai had done her best defending herself, but after Emily had used the old Christopher card against her, there was no way she could walk out of her parents house not feeling like the complete failure her mother had portrayed her as. She had even been forced to pull over once on her way home to blink the tears out of her eyes.

Of course, she did not let any of this show on her face when she climbed the few steps up to the diner's entrance.

"Luke. Coffee. Now!" She barked as she came through the door, not bothering one penny about the other quests sitting there. With a grumpy mutter, Lorelai sat down on the chair next to the register and tossed her purse on the counter. Half expecting the coffee to be already in her hand by the time she had settled down, Lorelai was surprised to notice that Luke hadn't even move a muscle to get her the much precious black liquid, despite him standing just across the counter from where she had taken a seat.

"Earth to Luke," Lorelai said, feeling a headache coming up. She snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hello? Coffee. Need a whole bucket of it."

Luke blinked and returned to reality.

"Coffee," Lorelai repeated when he blinked stupidly at her. Hadn't he heard her come in? "What's wrong, Luke?"

He was looking at something behind her. Lorelai turned her head and her eyes widened in disbelief when her gaze landed on a very familiar figure. Jess! Lorelai blinked but he was still there. The boy... err... young man taking the order from and elderly couple close to the window. He'd changed his haircut, but Lorelai would have recognized those black unruly curls anywhere. It was Jess!

Turning her head back, she stared at Luke for answers.

"When did he get back? Did you know he was coming here?"

Luke shook his head. "No, I didn't but that's not all of it." He nodded to her to look at Jess again. "Just wait for it."

Lorelai looked, but saw nothing. Yes, Jess had changed his clothes too, but that was not surprising. That leather jacket he had sported last time he was around in the neighborhood wouldn't go very well with his new haircut. It didn't take long before she had turned impatient.

"What are you talking about, Luke? What am I supposed to see? Give me my coffee."

But Luke didn't budge.

"Trust me, wait for it."

Luke, I'm serious. Give me my coffee. I'll get crazy if I don't get my caffeine soon. I'm like the caffeine monster from coffee world!"

"Wait for it."

"Unhappy customer over here, soon turning into the caffeine monster."

"Wait for it!"

"I'm warning you, Luke. If I don't get my caffeine within three seconds, I'll turn into the caffeine monster and start clawing on the interior. Your precious diner..."

Lorelai trailed off mid-sentence. Her eyes widened in surprise. Jess was finally done with the old couple's order and had turned around to head to the kitchen. When doing so he also revealed that the notepad he had written the down order in wasn't the only thing he held in his hand. A baby, a small baby girl, was cuddling up against his chest with his left arm securely wrapped around its tiny body!

Lorelai watched him walk around the counter in stunned silence. Jess flashed a greeting smile when he noticed her sitting there, but stopped to pick up an infant car seat before coming all the way up to her. As he bent forward to pick it up, a lock of his hair fell forward and the baby wasn't late grabbing onto it.

"Auch, Clara! Let go of me. That's my hair you're pulling!" Jess hurried along the counter, bent slightly forward as he tried to wrestle the car seat with him without hitting anything. The baby pulled hard on his hair, trying to get some of it into her mouth. "Alright, alright, I'll get you breakfast. Stop chewing on me!"

With one gracious swing, Jess put down the car set next to Lorelai's purse on the counter and grabbed hold of the baby's arms. The little girl gave up a disappointed sound when he managed to wriggle free from her grip. With both of her tiny little hands trapped in his, Jess gave the baby a disapproving look before placing a light peck on the baby's head.

He turned to Lorelai and smiled.

"Coffee, Ms Gilmore?"

"Yes, please!" Lorelai tried to not sound like the caffeine addict she really was, but failed miserably. She couldn't stop staring at Jess. He looked nothing like the Jess she had seen two years ago. And the baby on top of it!

"What kind of waiter are you?" Jess told his uncle, stretching out his free arm behind Luke to get the coffee pot. "Letting your worst caffeine monster wait for her coffee. She could have torn down the interior! Now go and make waffles, the couple over there want one with strawberry jam and cream and the other with raspberry jam only. Now go!"

Lorelai had to smirk at Luke's surprised face when Jess bossed him out the kitchen. One could almost think Jess owned the diner, not the other way around. When Jess returned he had a big of cup of coffee with him which he sat down in front of Lorelai.

"Thank you, you're an angel!" Lorelai sighed of pure pleasure and let the first sip of coffee find its way down her throat.

Jess gazed her with arched eyebrows for a moment before he shifted the baby's weight on his arm to set the baby down in the car seat. The little girl made an impatient and unhappy sound.

"Yes, honey, you'll get breakfast soon. Don't you worry." From the back pocket of his jeans, Jess pulled out a plush toy elephant in pink and blue and placed it in the little girl's arm. "Here. Drool on this for a while." He turned but before he left them he added: "Be careful, she's a bit crazy this one."

Lorelai wasn't sure if he said it to her or to the baby. Once he was gone though, Lorelai found herself sitting all alone with the cutest baby she had ever seen since Rory was little. The dark hair curled on top of the baby's head like a soft cloud. There was no doubt the baby's father was Jess, the resemblance was undeniable. Lorelai could see Jess in every feature in the little girl's face. The hair, the nose, the mouth and... oh, God! The girl even had the same pair of intelligent, teasing brown eyes Jess had. And she used them to stare relentlessly at Lorelai while sucking on the plush toy elephant's ear.

 _Jess is a father._ Lorelai couldn't quite wrap her head around the concept even though the proof was right in front of her. Very much alive. The rebellious teen that had broken her own daughter's heart was all grown up now with a family of his own. Lorelai looked for features in the baby's face that could tell her anything about the mother. The only thing she spotted was a roundness to the cheek, a softness to the baby's overall features, but other than that she was all Jess.

The baby coughed and blinked at her. Lorelai smiled.

"Hi, there stranger. Who are we being so cute today?"

The baby grinned a toothless grin and waved with her tiny arms in the air. Lorelai guessed that the child was no more than a few months old. For some reason that thought amazed her. Jess had just recently become a father. Somewhere out there was a girl who had given birth to his child.

Jess returned a short while later with a feeding bottle in his hand and Luke in tow.

"She is cute," Lorelai said to Jess when he picked up the baby from the car seat and sat down with her on the chair next to Lorelai. "What's her name?"

Jess adjusted the baby into the right position in his arms and put the bottle to her lips before answering.

"Thank you, her name is Clara. Hey, easy now, honey. There's no hurry," he added turned to the baby who had started to feed hungrily. Lorelai watched the young father and his newborn. For having become a father quite recently, Jess looked very comfortable in the new role.

"How are things with you, Lorelai?" His opening to a polite conversation surprised her. The old Jess would have brooded in silence.

"I'm good, thank you."

"How's the Dragon Fly? You and Sookie doing okay?"

In this mild, polite manor a conversation began that Lorelai never would have thought was possible. Jess wasn't just changed to the outside, he was a completely different person to the inside as well. He told her and Luke that he moved from Philadelphia to work at a publishing company he and two friends of his were the owners of. Same friends whom he also shared a huge apartment with in an uptown neighborhood. Lorelai could tell he was happy and proud over what he had accomplished with his life.

When Jess told them he was close to finishing his very own novel, Lorelai threw a glance at Luke. His facial expression was a mix of wonder, admiration and pride. Last time they had seen Jess, Lorelai had been sure life wouldn't end up very well for the boy. Now here he was all cleaned up, a hard working man and… a father!

The only shadow laying over the picture was the plain golden ring on Jess left hand. Where was Clara's mother?

Jess was in the midst of telling them of how he was planning on finishing his senior high school year back in Philadelphia, when all of a sudden Clara cooed delightfully in the car seat Jess had put her back in after having finished feeding her. A moment later a foul smell started to ooze from the baby. Lorelai wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Clara!" Jess groaned in mocked annoyance. "Really? You think this is a good place doing that? People are having breakfast here. Sesh! It's obvious you don't want my reputation to improve around here."

Clara giggled very pleased with herself in a way only someone who has just taken a dump can. Jess picked her up and turned apologetically towards Lorelai and Luke.

"I'm so sorry for this. Looks like little miss Stinky here doesn't know how to behave in a crowd. Now do you, Stinky? Yes, I'm talking about you." Jess put a finger in the baby's belly, which evoked a squealing giggle from the little girl.

"We'll be right back." He told them and headed for the staircase leading up to Luke's apartment. On the way out, Clara suddenly realized that it wasn't so pleasant wearing a diaper filled with poop. A quiet sob escaped her lips.

"Well, that's what you get for pooping in your pants," Lorelai heard Jess say to his daughter before they got out of earshot.

Lorelai turned to Luke with an astonished expression on her face.

"Wow, he is so changed."

"He is," Luke agreed.

"He's a dad."

"He is."

"So have you met the mother yet?"

"No."

"Didn't he bring her?"

"I don't know."

"How long is he staying for?"

"I don't know."

"Why has he returned then?"

"I don't know."

"What do you know, Luke?" Lorelai exploded in frustration. "I'm dying of curiosity over here. Jess is back. Aren't you the least bit curious why that is?"

"Of course I am curious!" Luke protested.

"Well then, why haven't you asked him about it?"

"We never got to that part. I was kind of preoccupied with that thing he came with." Luke leaned closer as if to tell her a secret. "I don't know if you have noticed it but... he's a dad!"

Lorelai couldn't help but so laugh. Luke was obviously freaking out over the whole Jess-being-a-father-thing.

"So how does it feel, grandpa?" she teased him. "Ready to call the retirement home yet?"

"I'm not grandpa!" Luke hissed. "And who does he think he is coming here with a baby? He is too young to have a baby! He should be out there discovering the world... or finding himself... or whatever kids do these days. Not sitting here with a baby in his lap!"

"I think Jess has found himself," Lorelai said. "Didn't you see him just now? He was great with Clara."

"He is too young!"

"He is not too young, Luke." Lorelai shook her head. "Jess is old enough to be a father, whether you like it or not. He could have been a father when he was here last time. And besides, what are you going to do about it now? Clara is already born. Are you planning on adopting her?"

The thought seemed horrifying to Luke. Before he could say anything Lorelai continued: "Haven't you said ever since he left that you wished he'd reach out to you? Well, maybe this is it. Maybe having Clara has made him open up to the idea of reconnecting with his family. You shouldn't do anything that can turn him away until you know what he wants."

Luke sighed.

"I suppose you are right, but... Wow! He's a dad!"

Lorelai grinned as she stood up to leave.

"He's a dad."

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Please leave a comment below to let me now what you think. Next up - what will Rory's reaction be...?


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything but my head and my imagination.

AUTHOR: I am so sorry for taking this long to update, it wasn't my intention. I've been feeling very uninspired lately so there hasn't been much writing at all. Hopefully, this will change soon for I am longing to hear your reactions to coming chapters. In the mean time, hope you enjoy this one! Please write a comment below :)

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" **Oh, lord! It breeds too!"**

The sharp morning sun hit her eyes the second she stepped out off the diner. Lorelai squinted to not get dazzled, but opened her eyes again almost immediately when someone unexpectedly grabbed her arm. A grip hard as iron pulled her down the steps and around the corner. Lorelai took a firm grip around her purse and prepared herself to fight off the mugger, or whatever satanic beast with no sense of self preservation, that had decided to attack her this particular morning.

She fumbled for her keys to have something to stab with, only for almost dropping them when her sight adjusted to shadows and she got a good look at her attacker.

"Taylor!" She gasp in shock and anger. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Wriggling herself free from his grip, Lorelai took a step back. The self proclaimed mayor must have been waiting for her to come outside, perhaps he had been lurking out here all the while she had been talking to Luke. The location of where Taylor had snatched her and the way he glanced through the window to make sure Luke wasn't watching them, gave Lorelai an idea of what he wanted.

"If this has anything to do with you trying to convince me to use my influence on Luke to make him rethink changing those sun blinds, you can forget about it. I'm not doing it. I have a strict policy not to take part in any of your disputes. The same goes for Rory. We have a strict no interference policy. We can joke and tease and torment, but we do not get involved..."

Taylor cut off her by shaking his head. He wasn't interested in the sun blinds that been the big drama of the week.

"I would never ask for such favor, but now that you have offered: thank you, that would be most kind if you did. Those sun blinds are the ugly duckling in this beautiful pond." He flashed her one of his trademark goofy smug.

Lorelai raised an eyebrow.

"You do know the ugly duckling turns into a beautiful swan in the end, right?"

"Yes, yes, and that's what I am trying to encourage him to do by changing them. Those horrible blinds scare off my customers!" Taylor shook his head. He didn't have time for this. Neither did Lorelai. She had never understood Taylor's rage against Luke's sun blinds. Sure, they were perhaps a little bleached. Sure, they should have been replaced ten years ago... Lorelai frowned. Perhaps she should use her influence on Luke and make him change them after all. They were hideous, now that she had a good look at them.

"Talking of ugly ducklings," Taylor continued. "Was that Jess Mariano back in Stars Hollow, I just saw?"

Lorelai realized it wasn't Luke Taylor had been prying after, it was Jess. Taylor must have seen Jess' car being parked right next to where they were standing and sensed bad news. Lorelai guessed she had been so preoccupied with the memories of last night's fight with her mother that she hadn't seen the car. Though it was hard to miss, discolored brown and a clear contestant to be driven to the waste yard as it was. Why on earth did Jess still have it?

"Yes, Taylor, Jess is back," Lorelai confirmed. "He came here last night."

"Oh, heavenly lord!" Taylor gasped and steadied himself against the car. "Just when the town had finally recovered from last time, the evil strikes again. I better go and lock my doors and windows before that troublemaker comes sniffing at my candy shop for a treat!"

Lorelai couldn't help a chuckle from emerging her lips.

"I don't think Jess is interested in your candy shop, Taylor. He's got quite enough of other things to occupy himself with these days. He's a dad."

Taylor looked as if he had been struck by lightning.

"Oh, lord! It breeds too!"

Lorelai barely managed to pick up the words before a hoarse voice spoke behind her.

"A dad? Are you saying that the little rascal has been breeding while he's been away?"

Lorelai turned and saw Babette and Miss Patty coming towards her and Taylor from across the street.

"Yes, he has a daughter."

"Oh, my!" Miss Patty made a dramatic gesture. "What poor young woman has gotten herself into trouble this time?"

"Not Rory! Please, tell me it isn't Rory!" Babette exclaimed in horror. "She looked so thin and peaky last time I saw her."

"It's not Rory," insured Lorelai quickly. "She hasn't heard from Jess in two years."

"And aren't we all glad for that!" Taylor exclaimed. "That boy is evil impersonated! The devil himself, I dare say!"

Babette nodded in agreement.

"Just remember how crushed Rory was after he had broken her heart. Oh, our sweet, poor Rory! I am so glad she got over it."

"Yes, aren't we all," mumbled Lorelai, her head full of thoughts. The image of the ring on Jess' hand still clung to her memory. Why did it look so lonely?

"He might be devil, Taylor," Miss Patty interrupted, "but he sure has grown into a fine young man." She nodded towards the window.

Inside the diner, Jess had returned from Luke's apartment with one much happier Clara on his arm. The quartet outside the window watch the young father give his daughter a cuddle before putting her down in the infant seat with a rattle toy to play with.

"Yes, one fine young man indeed. Look at hair, that jaw... those arms!" Miss Patty licked her lips like Jess was something delicious to eat. "Wrap him up and I'll take him with me home."

Before Lorelai or either of the other two could say something, Lorelai was drawn away from the window by the familiar buzz of her cellphone. The display read 'Rory'.

She allowed herself to breathe once before pushing the answer button.

"Hi, honey." Lorelai cursed herself for sounding so strained. It was only Rory, for God's sake! And yet... the news Lorelai carried was enough to make any mother worried. How would Rory take the news of Jess being back in Stars Hollow? How would she take the news of him being a father? Lorelai was so not looking forward to this call. She wished she could have postponed it at least until she'd had another cup of strengthening coffee.

Thankfully, Rory didn't seem to notice the stiffness in her voice. Rory had her own worries to deal with this morning.

"I am so sorry for last night!" the younger Gilmore girl blurted out. "I shouldn't have left you there all on your own, not when you specifically asked me not to leave. I'm so, so sorry. Logan was cranky. His family has been harassing him all week for leaving the family company. He didn't want to come to this social event, but I made him go even though I knew he didn't want because that's the horrible kind of person I am; and now I've made him angry for forcing him to go and I've upset you for leaving you alone there even though I promised I would stay and..."

"Rory, breathe!" Lorelai interrupted. "It's okay, really, I'm okay."

"It's not okay! I shouldn't have left you there when I said I wouldn't. It's so not okay. I should have stayed. I should have told Logan to go home, or have let him stayed at home like he wanted to. Then I wouldn't have made him angry and I wouldn't have hurt you."

Rory let out a frustrated groan.

"I just... I'm..."

"It's okay, honey. I know you're sorry." Lorelai squeezed the phone so hard her knuckles turned white. She loved her daughter so much. Her sweet little Rory. She hated that she had to be one telling Rory about Jess. At the same time, she didn't want Rory to hear it from someone else either.

"Look, Rory, there's something I need to tell you."

"What, mom?"

Lorelai took a deep breath to strengthen herself. "Jess is back."

For a brief moment it was quiet on the other end of the line, then Rory spoke: "In Stars Hollow?"

"Yes."

"Wha... uhm... why?"

"To see Luke. Maybe. I don't know."

It was quiet on the other end. Lorelai licked her lips nervously.

"And there is something else." Lorelai closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to whatever-higher-power-there-was that she did the right thing. "Rory, Jess has a daughter. Her name is Clara."

Lorelai waited for the thud to come that would tell her that Rory had dropped the phone in shock. It never came. Neither did Rory's reaction. Lorelai counted slowly to twenty, but still - nothing! A small part of her started to hope that the connection broken and that Rory hadn't heard the last, but the sound of a car passing on Rory's end of the line crushed that hope in its cradle.

"Rory?" Lorelai said softly. "Are you there, honey?"

A soft rustle let her know Rory was making her way back to reality.

"That's Dean's sister's name."

Whatever Lorelai had expected Rory to say, that was not it! But thinking about it, Lorelai could see the irony in what Rory had pointed out to her. Dean and Jess had been sworn enemies back then, fighting each other to win Rory's affections. They had been like day and night with Dean as day, being the sweet boy next door, and Jess the night as the troubled, moody teen he had been. Now they were connected through a five lettered name.

"Yeah, I know," Lorelai whispered and bit her lip. There was the silence again. This was bad.

Lorelai stomped with her feet in frustration. How she hated to tell Rory this on the phone. There was nothing she wanted more than to be at Rory's side, to see her reaction, to comfort her, to do... something!

"Why did he give his daughter Dean's sister's name?"

Rory's question put an abrupt end to Lorelai's fears. There was nothing hurt in the younger Gilmore girl's voice. Lorelai let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

Rory stared at the phone for the longest time after she had hung up on her mother's call, unable to move. They had talked casually, conspiring over all the reasons Jess possibly could have to give his daughter the same name as his worst enemy's sister, mocking every suggestion put to the table in true Gilmore fashion. Rory had spoken about Jess with ease, sounding relaxed and confident, though she had felt nothing like it on the inside.

Stumbling to the nearest park bench, Rory sat down and braced herself as memories of a past relationship came crushing in over her with an overwhelming strength. A wound that had been healing for two years suddenly opened itself again...


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: Same as before. I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of the characters.

AUTHOR: Thanks for all wonderful the reviews. Love ya all!

* * *

 **Chapter 5: "Don't worry, I didn't choose the name."  
**

Jess sat by the window at the rear end corner of Luke's diner with his notepad laid open in front of him. It was after lunch. The diner was quiet again after the rush. Only a few customers lingered, enough to keep Luke occupied but too few to require Jess' assistance. He took the opportunity to get some very much needed work done on his book.

Or that had been the plan...

Jess sighed and put down the pen. He had been sitting here for nearly an hour and still he had not been able to put down a single word. It was like they got stuck somewhere between his head and his hand. The more he tried to force it through, the less came out. Writer's block. Jess sniffed at the word. He had always believed the phenomenon to be something silly author's blamed when they had put themselves in a corner their imagination couldn't stretch far enough for to get them out of it. Never had he thought it was an actual condition.

There was nothing wrong with his own imagination. He had ideas, more ideas than he could possibly ever write about, but to get them down on paper... It was simply impossible. He had been deprived the English language.

Jess glanced at his companion at the table, who wailed quietly in frustration. Maybe that was to be a little bit too dramatic. He knew why he couldn't concentrate. Something was up with Clara. He had noticed it already this morning when he had changed her diaper. The content had been loose and faul smelling in a way it hadn't been before. He had hoped it was only something temporary, like a reaction to the change of scenery - for a five months old girl it was a big happening to visit a diner - but her lack of appetite when he tried to feed her earlier told him this wasn't going away that easily.

He had taken a walk with her in the stroller before, wishing more than hoping a good nap would set her straight, but Clara refused to fall to sleep. Now she sat in the infant car seat placed on the table next to him and snuggled with her plush toy.

Jess sighed and placed a hand on her belly. She felt bloated, which was strange since she had no problems filling her diaper.

"Bad day today huh, honey?" he spoke softly.

Clara dropped her toy and took hold of his index finger instead. With no further ado she started to suck on it. Jess let her do it. Back in Philly, whenever Clara had trouble sleeping, being close to him always seemed to do the trick. He smiled when Clara nibbled on his fingertip. He could feel the beginning of a tooth among the gooey flesh.

The door to the diner opened and Jess looked up in time to see it close behind a familiar figure. Dean. For a split second Jess thought about hiding underneath the table to avoid a confrontation, but there was no way he could get Clara down there with him too without anyone noticing it so he gave up that idea. Not that it would have mattered anyway. Dean had already spotted him.

"Jess?" The tall young man, who once had been his enemy, said in disbelief.

Jess had no other choice but to acknowledge the acquaintance.

"Dean."

"You're back."

The old Jess inside him wanted to snarl. Dean made it sound like Jess was something unpleasant the cat had dragged in. Which, considering their quarells in the past, wasn't all that strange. Jess had stolen Rory from Dean after all so some hostility was to expect.

"Looks that way, doesn't it?" The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. Old habit. The harshness made Dean stand quiet for a moment, not knowning what to say next. Jess glanced over to the kitchen. Where was Luke when you needed him?

"What's her name?" Dean said and made a gesture towards Clara. To ask Jess if he was the father was pointless. Jess knew Clara had inherited most of his features.

"Clara." Jess saw the recongnistion hit Dean's face and he snickered. "Don't worry, I didn't choose the name. She is named after her great grand mother."

"Oh."

By now everyone in the diner were looking at them. Jess assumed his fights with Dean over Rory had become sort of a legend in this town, where nothing interesting ever happened. They were probably all wondering if there was going to be a fight now. The old Jess may have granted them their wish, but this new Jess offered his enemy a seat by the table. To his surprise, Dean accepted.

Jess ransacked his brain for something to say. He remembered hearing something about Dean being married last time he was in town.

"How's the wife?"

"Good, good. She is good."

Jess had to surprise a roll with his eyes. Dean had certainly not grown more fond words since last time they met ...

"We recently bought a new house. A larger one." ... but then again...

"Ah, expecting addition to the family?"

"If Lindsay gets her way, yes."

Jess couldn't help to notice the reluctant tone in Dean's voice. Perhaps everything wasn't perfect in paradise. Jess hoped for Lindsay's sake Dean wasn't pine for Rory still.

Clara was looking at both with curious eyes. If she had been older and in better control of her facial expressions, Jess thought she would have been arching her eyebrows at them in bewildering. Jess wouldn't have blame her if she did. Him and Dean was an odd pair to see sitting at the same table.

"How long have you been back in Stars Hollow?" Dean wondered.

"Not long at all." Jess reached for Clara's plush toy. He couldn't have an adult conversation with her sucking on his fingers. "We arrived last night. Had some work to finish in Philly before I could go here."

"Clara's mother, is she here too?"

"No." Jess heard how harsh it sounded and added: "It's just me and Clara. We're only staying for the weekend."

Jess prayed him and Clara would only stay over the weekend. That was as much time he could afford staying away from work. If only Clara wasn't coming down with something. He refused having a sick baby in the car on the drive back to Philly. It was a long drive enough as it was.

Out of nowhere, Luke showed up at their table and asked if they wanted anything. Jess asked for a cup of tea with two spoons of sugar in it - a bad habit he had Stella to blame for - and a chocolate chip muffin. Dean ordered two burgers to go. He needed to get back to the construction site, he said. Jess never asked him where that might be. When Luke had disappered into the kitchen again, Dean turned to Jess.

"Have you talked to Rory lately?"

Jess shook his head.

"No, I can't say I have."

This seemed to please Dean. Jess could hear his old self grit his teeth. The other man must think Jess had burned his bridges with Rory the way he had dumped her. Maybe he had. Jess didn't know. Rory had been pretty pissed at him last time they spoke and with all rights, he had treated her like shit, but it was a long time ago now. A lot had happened since then. Clara had happened for one.

A part of Jess had always wondered what would have happened if he had stayed to hear her response to his 'I love you'. Would she had told him to go to hell or would she have thrown herself in his arms?

"How's she doing at Yale?"

"Good. She likes it there. Straight A's in every course."

Jess smile never reached his eyes. Dean seemed a little too happy about Jess having no contact with Rory. It wasn't like the man had a chance with her anyway, not while he was married. Jess doubted Dean was the adventurous man who would give up his marriage without any guarantees he would end up with the girl he wanted instead. No, guys like Dean lived quiet lives married to the second best girl, admiring the girl he really wanted to marry from afar. Jess was certain Dean would never let himself do anything else but dream of a life with Rory as long as he was certain Jess had even less chance of getting her.

Dean eagerly told Jess everything he knew about Rory's life at Yale just to rub it in. Jess listened, but turned a part of his attention back to Clara to remind himself who he had become. Clara seemed to be wanting to roll her eyes at Dean when he never finished. She would be really good at it when she grew up, Jess was sure. She had it from her mother.

"Here are you burgers, Dean."

Jess shot Luke a thankful look when the man came over with Dean's burgers. It was the only thing that could put a stop to the endless flood of words coming out of Dean's mouth. Interesting, consider the many times Jess had made sour remarks to Dean being slow-witted.

Dean took the bag from Luke and rose from his seat.

"I better get going." It looked like he was about to say 'good to see you, Jess', but not even Dean could say that and make it sound like he really meant it. He left the shop with only a nod in Jess' direction. When he was gone Luke turned to Jess with an astonished face.

"Wow, I've never heard him talk that much since he and his pals stumbled in here blind drunk at his bachelor party." Luke shook his head. "He went on and on about Rory. What did he talk about this time?"

"Rory," Jess said plainly and zipped on his tea.

Luke gave up a whistle.

"That boy needs to get his head straight."

Jess didn't reply and Luke was shortly after called to another table.

For a long time Jess sat there looking at the spot where Dean had disappeared around a corner, deep in thoughts. So Dean was still hooked on Rory. For some reason that didn't surprise him. Rory was a special girl. Jess flipped a few pages in his notepad, to the page where he had written the dedication to his book. There stood:

 _To Rory, for believing in me._

Jess closed the notepad. So Dean wasn't over Rory, question was: was Jess?


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls.

AUTHOR: Celebrating the last week at my old job by posting a double chapter update. Please read and review!

* * *

 **Chapter 6: "Spill the beans, Gilmore!"**

Rory paced restlessly back and forth through the rooms of the apartment she rented with Paris. She had done so for the last hour and a half. Her mind wouldn't set. She had tried to study, but been forced to give it up when her thoughts constantly drifted away from the text she was reading. The books still laid open on the kitchen table where she had left them.

Jess has a daughter...

Her mother's words echoed in her head. Despite her best efforts to stop thinking about them she couldn't get them out of her head. Jess was a father, according to her mother, to a baby girl named Clara. Rory couldn't help but to see the irony in it. Of all the names in the world he could have given his daughter, he gave her Dean's sister's name. Now they'd be connected forever.

Rory sighed and came to halt by the window in the living room. Jess was back in Stars Hollow. A part of her had always known that he would, the other had hoped. But it wasn't for her he had returned. Surely he must know she wasn't going to be there. He knew she went to Yale. No, Jess had returned to see Luke, of that she was sure but it was also the only thing she was sure of.

He has a daughter.

It felt so unreal. Jess, a father? Last time she saw him he could barely take care of himself. He'd been angry, hurt and resentful. Snapping at everyone and everything. Something in her mother's voice when she spoke about him had told Rory that wasn't the case anymore. If Jess had been his old self, Lorelai wouldn't have hesitated to call him jerk or gone off about how unfairly he treated Luke. But her mother hadn't said any of those things. In fact she hadn't told Rory much at all except for him being back in town with a baby. Rory wondered if that meant something.

Sighing troubled, Rory walked away from the window. She was so glad Paris hadn't come home yet to see her in this state. She wasn't sure if she could handle Paris' dry remarks right now. Truth be told, she was embarrassed for how much the mentioning of Jess still affected her. Their relationship had ended more than two years ago for crying out loud! She should be over this by now. She had moved on, she was dating Logan now. She didn't need Jess.

And yet...

She wasn't going to deny Jess was special to her. Despite their ups and downs, Jess had made her feel alive. That she could do everything she'd ever wanted if only she set her mind to it. He had challenged her in a way Dean never had been able to. Jess had shared her passion for the written word. They could discuss a book for hours, analyzing every sentence in search of hidden meanings.

Debate whether or not an author deserved the praise. Jess had understood her in a way no one else ever had. They were kindred spirits of sorts.

Fiddling on the hem of her shirt, Rory admitted to herself a part of her had never stopped missing Jess. An unwelcome memory surfaced her mind and made a troubled frown appear on her forehead. Their last conversation had been heated to say the least. She had been furious at him for daring to show his face in Stars Hollow again after everything he had put her through, and even more so for thinking he could still dictate their relationship. She had called him out. When he had asked her if they could talk, she had confronted him. Telling him she was very curious of what he could possible have to say to her after everything that had happened. His reply had not been at all what she had expected.

 _I love you._

How those words had tormented her ever since! The look on his face had been so haunted, so pained, that she couldn't doubt the sincerity of it. There wasn't a day gone passed that she hadn't cursed herself for not being able to respond to those words. She had been in shock. Even after he had returned to his car and driven out of Stars Hollow, she had been standing there on the sidewalk unable to move or speak.

He had loved her back then and now he had returned with a baby. Rory was too well educated to be clueless of how that could have happened. At some point during these two years he had been gone, he had been with another girl and knocked her up. Did that mean he was over her?

A sudden slam of the door to the apartment put an abrupt end to her thoughts. Paris was home.

Rory quickly ruched to take her seat by the books on the kitchen table, trying to look as if she had been studying when Paris stormed into the room. Evidently furious.

"I can't believe it," the blonde snarled. "Do you know what Ms Clearwater called me today? Insufferable, like this was some kind of modern version of Pride and Prejudice and I was Mr Collins at the Netherfield ball. It's a huge, huge insult. Everyone knows I'm obnoxious!"

Paris threw her purse onto the coffee table with a loud 'thud'.

"I tell you, Gilmore. One of these day I'm going to replace her conditioner with bleach and then we'll see how easily she can ignore my existence."

"What has she done now?"

Ms Clearwater was on of Paris' teacher. They hadn't been many weeks at Yale before Paris managed to get a death-enemy in Ms Clearwater, or at least that was what Paris claimed.

"She told me my essay on 'medical achievements throughout the early years of the Roman empire' was too long and too detailed. She said I should put more emphasis on how the discoveries improved the life of the common people instead of how the scientists came to the conclusions. Like anyone cares about the common people. They are called common because they lack the wits and ambitions to be extraordinary! I told Ms Clearwater that and kindly explained to her how her irrational passion for the lazy and the stupid ones is reduces Yale's credibility. That's when she called me insufferable!"

"How rude", Rory mumbled in lack of anything else to say. "She should know better."

"I know right!" Paris started pacing the same way Rory had been pace just a moment ago. "I should tell the board that we need to be more considerate whom we are given permission to teach here. There should be at least three recommendations from other university, two from an Ivy League school. Yale's reputation is at stake which means my reputation is at stake. What if someone starts to think I'm second best?"

As Paris continued to rant on about Ms Clearwater's unfair comment, Rory felt her mind slowly drift back to the previous subject of her dwelling. They had gone through the same procedure so many times before during these two years they had been at Yale that Rory knew that all that was required of her was to every now and then say some like 'I agree' or 'you're right' or 'they should know better' to keep Paris going. Eventually Paris would figure out what to do about her problem and set of to do it.

If Jess was back in Stars Hollow with his daughter, did that mean he had brought the mother with him too? Lorelai hadn't said anything about another girl being with him. There was a lot Lorelai hadn't told her. For once in her life Rory cursed her mother for not telling her more than she needed to know. If Lorelai had seen Jess, she had probably talked to him or to Luke who had spoken with Jess. Knowing her mother, Lorelai couldn't possible have contained her curiosity to not ask questions. She knew more than she had told Rory.

The kitchen suddenly went deadly quiet and Rory realized she had missed her que to say something to Paris. Now the blonde was looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"What's up you?" Paris asked her bluntly. "You looked like you got the world laying on you shoulders. Is it Logan? If it is I can call his Porsche dealer and tell him to sell the jerk last year's model."

"It's not Logan", Rory groaned and rose from her chair.

"Then what?" Paris gave her the prying eye which Rory never had been able to resist. "Spill the beans, Gilmore. I don't have all night. I need to figure out a way to make Ms Clearwater wish she had never called me such a namby-pamby word and the list of suggestion is long. It's gonna take me all evening to decide which horror to I should release on her."

Rory sighed. Whom was she trying to fool? There was no way she could go on without talking with anyone about this. If her mother insisted on not telling her everything then... well, she might as well confide in Paris.

"It's Jess."

"Jess? Jess who?"

"You know Jess."

"No, I don't know Jess. Oh! Is it the guy with crazy eye whom you never know which eyes you're supposed to look at? I knew he had a lame name. Jess... Like what, is he always saying 'yes'? to everything"

"No, Paris, his name is Eugene." Rory stomped her foot impatiently. "I'm talking about Jess, whom I dated when we went to Chilton."

Paris thought for a second.

"The I-have-read-Jane-Austen guy?"

"Yes, him!" Rory sighed of relief. "He is back."

"Back where?"

"In Stars Hollow."

"Okay? What's that got to do with us?"

Rory bit her lip. How was she going to explain this to Paris? She motioned to Paris to sit down at the table. When they were both seated Rory started to explain the only way she knew how - fast.

"He has a baby. A baby girl called Clara, which actually is kind of strange considering Dean's sister is called Clara and you know how much they hated each other. Anyway, he is back in Stars Hollow with this baby and I..." Rory trailed off. And her what...?

Paris seemed to wonder the same.

"So is he is back with a baby. Other than a Bukowski fan shouldn't be allowed to breed I don't see how this is a problem."

Rory didn't expected her to either. She hadn't told anyone about the conversation she had with Jess last time he was around, not even her mother. She could feel old wounds burst open.

"I didn't know that," said Paris once Rory was done telling her. "And now he is back. How do you know that?"

"Mom called this morning. She must have seen him or talked to Luke, I guess."

Paris was quiet for awhile, then she said.

"You want to go back there and see him, don't you? Despite everything he did to you, you still love him."

It was as if someone had punched the air out of Rory's lungs. Paris made it sound so easy.

"I don't know, maybe." Rory buried her face in the palms on her hands. "Yes!"

"Yes, what? You want to see him or you love him."

"The first," Rory let down her hands again. "Maybe both. I don't know. It's just..." This was the difficult part. "It doesn't feel like everything is resolved between us. I keep asking myself 'what if'. What if I had told him to stay? What if I had gone with him? It feels like a part of me is still with him and I need to get it back."

Across the table Paris blinked once before speaking.

"The troubles of the heart can bring even the greatest competitor to her knees. I'm glad to have known you, Gilmore. I've enjoyed our quarrels and it is with sad heart I declare I've won. You were one of the few here at Yale who could match my intelligence."

Rory frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"For being so smart you can be utterly stupid, but what can you expect from a girl who comes from a village which name starts with the most overrated luminous formation in history." Paris shook her head. "Do I need to spell it out for you, Gilmore? Go and see him. You're obviously not done with him and you could do a lot worse than Bukowski. Porsche-boy might be sad, but hey, when they release next year's model he'll get over it. That's what rich people do. Go to Stars Hollow and sort it out. Gosh, I need to wash my mouth with soap. I sound like Dr Phil!"

Before Rory could say anything, Paris had stood up from her chair and marched out of the room. Rory stared at a spot in space in front of her. Was she really going to go back to Stars Hollow to Jess?


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls

AUTHOR: Gah! It's so annoying my spell check program marks 'Lorelai' as misspelled! There's like a billion 'Lorelai''s in this chapter! Read & review. I love to hear your thoughts.

* * *

 **Chapter 7:** **"You planned this, didn't you?"**

Lorelai rushed through the rain with her purse above her head for protection against the heavy drops. A curse word escaped her lips when she reached her car only to fail to open it on the first try.

"Stupid car!" she growled and yanked the key with force. The door opened and Lorelai slid in on the driver's seat. Firing up the engine, Lorelai left the Dragonfly Inn with a spray of pebbles behind her.

It really was pouring outside. The raindrops splashed hard against the wind shield, forcing Lorelai to slow down to be able to see the road ahead at all. Luke had called her not five minutes ago, sounding very distressed. Clara was sick. Lorelai had heard the poor girl's cries in the background, as well as Jess' attempts to soothe her. Luke had begged Lorelai to let his nephew with daughter stay at the inn. If Clara was coming down with something, the whole diner could be at risk.

Knowing very well the economical troubles Luke had suffered lately with the diner, and how desperate he must be for to even making this call (turning Jess away was the last thing he wanted), Lorelai had agreed to help out without even hesitating. But she wasn't having them at the inn. If Clara was coming down with something, she didn't want them anywhere near the Dragonfly. So instead she had offered them the comfort of her own home.

They were already waiting for her when she reached her destination. Luke was pacing restlessly up and down the lawn, looking like a drowned cat in the rain, while Jess stood well protected from the wetness on the porch with Clara tightly clutched to his chest. Even before Lorelai opened the car door she knew the girl was crying. She could tell by the angry red shade on the girl's face.

"I'm sorry, I came as fast as I could," she told them as she opened the door. "Man, it's pouring! I could barely see the road. How is she?"

"She needs changing," Jess told and made way for her to the door. "Thank you so much for having us. Where can I put her down?"

"The bathroom downstairs. There's a cabinet you can use as changing table. I think there's a clean towel in it if you need to clean her."

Jess nodded and hurried inside as soon as Lorelai had unlocked the door for him. Lorelai was prevented from doing the same by Luke blocking her way.

"This is insane. We have to take her to a hospital. She should have nurses hanging over her, gadgets and tubes attached to her body. Not changing diaper on a cabinet!"

"Hey!" Lorelai said offended. "It's a nice cabinet."

Luke pretended he didn't hear her.

"She's been crying all afternoon. What if she has the stomach flu? I had the stomach flu once, it had me down for days and I was a grown man. She's so tiny."

"Wow, Luke, it sounds like you're really growing into the grand pa role," Lorelai teased.

"I am not grand pa!" Luke growled. "You should take this more seriously. You're a woman. You've had one of these before. You should get wind up and crazy. What if Clara is sick? What if she is hurt? We should go to the hospital and..."

"Luke, calm down," Lorelai cut off. "If Clara doesn't have a fever than it's probably nothing to worry about. It might be something she ate or licked on. You don't want to know all the disgusting things babies lick on. Why don't you go back to the diner and close up for the night. Jess and I will handle this. I'll call you if there is any change." She glanced at his soaked clothes. "You should probably change."

Luke made her swear twice on the first cup of coffee in the morning to do that before he agreed to head back to the diner. Once he was gone, Lorelai headed inside to see where Jess had gone to. She found him in the bathroom in the midst of changing Clara's diaper on the counter. The smell of baby poop hung thick in cramped space.

"How is she?" she asked him.

Jess shook his head and put the used diaper aside.

"Something is wrong with her, but I don't know what. She's been crying on and off all day."

"Does she have a fever?"

"No." Jess frowned. "She feels bloated, but as you can see she's not constipated."

"Have you burped her?"

"Yes, until she puked on me."

Lorelai looked at the little girl. She wasn't crying at the moment, Lorelai seemed to be far too interesting to look at to be crying in the presence of. Deciding that if the girl could keep herself from crying to stare at her, whatever it was bugging the baby tummy couldn't be that bad. Lorelai snorted.

"I wouldn't be surprised if being around Luke has made her belly turn as sour as sour-cream."

Jess chuckled.

"Is he still same?"

"Could he possibly change?"

They shared a smile before Jess had to turn his attention to Clara again.

"Thanks for having us. I don't know where we would have gone otherwise. Luke insisted upon us staying, but I don't want risk the diner so..." Jess never finished the sentence.

Lorelai was stunned. Jess had persuaded Luke to call her. On his last visit to Stars Hollow, Lorelai had confronted him on the street for the mean things he had said to Luke. She couldn't remember the exact words she had used, but she had let him know she wanted him nowhere near Rory nor Stars Hollow ever again. And here he was, reaching out to her for help.

"So... uhm... have you eaten?" she said, uncertain of what to do. " I could call Luke to come over with burgers or Al's if you prefer Chinese take-out."

Jess looked up at her, certainly feeling the awkwardness too.

"Al's cool."

Lorelai nodded and slowly backed her way out of the bathroom to let him finished up on his own, wondering how she was supposed to entertain him?

That didn't turn to be much of a problem. After a somewhat awkward conversation over the food from Al's, Clara kept Jess entertained for the most part. Whenever Jess' attention wandered too away from her, the little girl would start to whimper like a wounded dog and his attention was immediately drawn back to her. It was clear she had him wrapped around her very tiny little finger and Lorelai suspected that by the age of three Clara would know every trick in the book to get her father to do her bidding.

Luke called at eight to check in on them. He was closing up the diner and wondered if they needed anything, a ride to hospital or the pharmacy or... Lorelai had cut him off and told him Clara was fine, that she and Jess was watching a kids' show on TV. She would come to regret those words very quickly. No more had she hung up on Luke than Clara started to cry unexpectedly. The crying grew quickly from a quiet sob to heart-wrenching howl. Jess got up from the couch and started rocking her back and forth, whispering soothing words in her ear. He messaged her belly, but without any luck. Minutes turned into quarters of an hour that turned into hours without Clara's cry calming down.

It wasn't until Lorelai offered herself to relieve Jess from Clara to let him rest for awhile, that Clara finally let herself be hushed. Sitting on Lorelai's arm, Clara stared in awe at the stranger holding her. Previous trials and torments suddenly all forgotten. Lorelai even managed to get a smile from the girl by talking nonsense to her.

"You have good hands with her," Jess noted. He stood leaning against the door frame, arms crossed in front him.

Lorelai smiled at the baby girl in her arms.

"Well, I've done this once before."

She gave him a meaning look. Jess blushed when he released she talking about Rory. Clara yawned and suddenly looked very sleepy. The dark eyes grew heavier and heavier. Lorelai adjusted her grip around the baby to let the girl rest her head against Lorelai's breast. The intimacy set off a storm of emotions inside Lorelai. Some of them she hadn't felt in a long time, since Rory was little and she began humming a lullaby she had sung to Rory softly.

Feeling confident his daughter was in safe hands and didn't need him to fall asleep, Jess withdrew from the living room. Lorelai watched him leave and prayed he wasn't jealous of it being her who got Clara to finally settling in. She kissed the top of the baby's head. Things like this could be sensitive to some parents. They could take it as a scorn towards their parenting skills and Lorelai didn't mean to scorn Jess. From what she had seen tonight he was a great father who loved his daughter very much.

Lorelai put her lips to the baby's head again. This time she let them stay there as she softly rocked Clara back and forth. She had forgot how good babies smelled. Rory had smelled good too. It was amazing how the tiny little thing she had given birth to twenty years ago had grown up into a young woman. Lorelai could still remember when the nurse had put Rory in her arms for the first time. The feelings inside her lacked words to be described with. Tonight, holding Clara in her arms, she could feel the emotions come back to her and she smiled against the soft curls at the top of Clara's head.

A while later when Clara had fallen asleep and Lorelai was confident the girl wouldn't wake up again the second Lorelai distanced herself, she carefully put down the baby in the temporary bed Jess had prepared for his daughter in the stroller insert. Clara didn't wake and Lorelai quietly left the room to go and look for Jess. She found him in the kitchen. Sitting at the table with his back against her, he didn't notice her approach. He looked deep in thoughts and he fiddled with something in hands. Lorelai stretch her neck to see what it was he was holding. The ring.

Sensing he might wanted to be left alone, Lorelai tried to withdraw back to the hallway again but accidentally backed into the chest of the drawers standing there. The sound made Jess look up over his shoulder.

"Is she asleep?"

Lorelai nodded. She bit her lip when Jess turned back his head. Her head told her to retreat upstairs for a minute or two and give him his space, but her curiosity refused her to take another step away from the kitchen. It was that ring again...

"I hope you don't mind me asking, Jess," she heard herself say before she could stop it. "What happened to Clara's mother?"

The question hung heavy in the air for a moment. Lorelai was almost sure Jess would snap something cocky at her, but all he did was to sigh. Deep and troubled.

"So you've figured out she's dead, huh?" he said, eyes fixed on the ring.

The revelation struck Lorelai in the gut.

"No," she whispered truthfully. "I didn't, but I figured something must have happened for her to not be here with Clara. May I ask what happened?"

A long moment of silence followed before Jess inhaled to speak. Suddenly he had aged whole ten years. The dark eyes showed signs of the weariness only someone who had lost a dear one had.

"I should've known right from the starts that something was wrong. The sign were all there. I just chose not to see them. By the time I opened my eyes, it was already too late."

Lorelai stood quietly at the door and listened breathlessly. She didn't dare to move nor speak.

"Stella and I met in California when I was still living with Jimmy," Jess continued telling her. "She had that way of seeing right through you, through the walls you've ever built to protect yourself. She could see right through them all. It wasn't possible to pretend or hide anything from her. She knew you better than you did yourself and she wasn't afraid to let you know she loved you all the same." Jess smiled to himself. "Stella forced me to look at my self, to really look at my self and who I had become and it wasn't a pretty sight. I was a mess back then. After everything with mom and Luke and school, Rory... I was just... shattered."

Jess paused for a brief moment, then he sighed.

"Stella put me back. She convinced me to leave California and come to Philadelphia with her. Her sister had just gotten a baby. Since it wasn't working out with Jimmy, I figured 'why not'? So we went to Philadelphia. Stella hooked me up with some old friends of hers and it was through them I got in contact with Chris and Matthew and Truncheon Books. It was a blast and I thought that maybe everything was going to work out alright, but then..."

Jess face darkened. Lorelai could feel goosebumps rise on her arms and she restlessly shifted weight from one foot to the other. Jess took a deep breath and continued:

"But then Stella fainted. We were out on the town and she just collapsed. When she woke up she refused to see a doctor. She claimed she had just skipped breakfast so I took her home instead, believing what she said was true. I had almost forgotten about it when she got a cold and fainted again. She said it was the cold and stupid as I was I ignored the voice in my had telling me to take her to the hospital."

"Anyway," Jess pulled a hand through his hair as if trying to wipe a horrible memory, "winter came and passed without anything in particular happening. I spent most of my waking hours at Truncheon and Stella was either at her work or spending time with her niece at her sister's place. Then last spring, we signed this big author to Truncheon and we were out celebrating the whole gang. One thing led to another and Stella and I ended up sleeping together. We weren't in love or anything, we were friends who cared deeply for each other and wanted to be intimate. We never intended to make anything serious out of it, but then Stella came to me one day and told me she was pregnant. I freaked out at first. She too. We weren't ready for that kind of responsibility. We were just kids ourselves, trying to act grown up!"

Jess shook his head at the memory. Lorelai, who had slowly come over to the table while he talked, sat down and gave him an encouraging nod to continue.

"We discussed abortion but I knew that Stella didn't want that deep down. She had told me back in California that she wanted a big family for herself one day since she was deprived her own at an early age. Her parents died in a car accident. She and her sister were raised by Stella's grandmother. It's from her Clara got her name," Jess explained to Lorelai. "After everything Stella had done for me, I didn't want to deny her that wish. The more I thought about it, starting a family with Stella didn't seem so bad."

"So we decided to keep the baby." Jess hesitated for a moment as if he didn't know how to continue the story. "Summer came and Stella's belly grew. She suffered from morning sickness in the beginning so when she complained about dizziness I didn't think much of it, until one morning when I found her unconscious on the bathroom floor. She told me when I managed to wake that she had gone up during the night because she felt nauseous, but everything had turned black on her. I don't know for how long she had been laying there, but this time I refused to listen to her excuses. I took her to the hospital and forced her to see a doctor. The news weren't good."

Lorelai, who was so into the story she scarcely breathed, felt her stomach turn into a knot at those words. Jess looked up and met her gaze.

"Stella had cancer. They found a tumor in the size of a walnut in her brain and it had started spread to the rest of her body too. The doctors said there was a chance for her to survive if they started the treatment straightaway, but then they needed to remove Clara."

Lorelai winced. "Let me guess, Stella refused?"

Jess nodded. "She so determined to have this baby. She told the doctors to shove their treatment up somewhere the sun doesn't shine, she was having the baby even if it meant her life. We got married that same night."

Jess held up the ring so they both could see it.

"I proposed to her and we got married at the hospital chapel. Her sister told me I was crazy for letting Stella sacrifice herself like that, but what could I have possibly done to make her change her mind. She had already made up her mind. All I could do was to be there for the baby if Stella didn't make it."

Jess flashed a smile, but it was a sad one. Lorelai could tell he had been going through this over and over again in his head ever since it happened, dwelling on whether or not he had done the right thing. If there had been anything he could have done differently. To soothe him, Lorelai put her hand on top of his.

"They had to deliver Clara prematurely. Stella was only eight months pregnant. Her condition had gotten so bad the doctors didn't want to risk Clara's health. They had to perform an emergency cesarean. Stella was so weak when they sedated her I'm not sure she understood what was going on. She never got to hold Clara either. She fell into a coma during the procedure and never woke up again. We buried her in march."

"Oh, Jess," Lorelai whispered, shocked over what he had told her. "I am so sorry."

Jess looked up at her. Tears slowly made their way down his cheeks.

"I should have known something was wrong with her. If I had taken her to the hospital earlier..."

Lorelai quieted him by moving her hand from his hand to his shoulder.

"You couldn't possibly have known, Jess. Cancer is a vicious decease. If it had spread to the rest of her body, she must have had it for a long time. It's not your fault."

If someone had told her two years ago that she would be sitting in her own kitchen consoling a crying Jess, Lorelai wouldn't have told the person to take it easy with the pills. It was peculiar how much things could change in two years. For Jess it must have felt like an eternity. Lorelai felt bad for him. Now she understood why he hadn't contacted Luke earlier. There simply hadn't been any time for it with everything else going on.

"Have you told Luke this?" she asked him when his tears had dried.

Jess shook his head.

"No, not yet."

"He's really happy you're back, you know that right? He has missed you."

"It was Stella's idea that I should come here. She wanted Clara to have relatives."

"And what do you want, Jess?"

Jess lifted his head and met her gaze.

"I want him to be there for me."

Lorelai was thinking of an answer to reply to that when a wailing came from the living room.

"I think Clara wonders where her dad is. You should go and check on her."

Jess nodded and rose from his chair. Lorelai shambled behind and watched him pick up the baby from the the shadows in the hallway. For being so young he had gone through so much. Life hadn't been easy for him. Lorelai released her accusations and hostile attitude towards him when he lived her might have been very unfair. He had been trouble she didn't want for her daughter, but had she every stopped to think why he acted the way he did. His tears at the table a moment ago, his gentle hand with Clara now... It was proof of a very sensitive, considerate inside.

Lorelai sighed. She had been so wrong about him.

As if Jess had heard her sighing and misinterpreted as a yawn, he looked over his shoulder at her and said:

"If you want you can go to bed. I can take it from here."

Lorelai nodded. She was tired, come to think of it. She told Jess good night and headed upstairs. In the stillness of her bedroom she thought of all the trials Jess must have gone through while he had been gone from Stars Hollow. Whom ever Stella was, she had done an amazing job straighten him out. It was a pity she was dead, but so it often was. The brightest candles burned out the quickest.

Lorelai stripped and put on a pajamas, a silky thing she had bought for intimate moment. It wasn't at all appropriate to wear with a young man in the house, but Lorelai hadn't much else to choose from. Rory hadn't been home for weeks to remind her to do the laundry and Lorelai now was running on the last few clean items. She had a robe though, so if Jess needed something during the night she could always cover herself with that.

She crawled under the bedding, but no sooner had she fallen asleep than she was woken up again by a loud cry from Clara. Lorelai glanced at the watched. It was 2 am in the morning, she had been sleeping for hours but it felt like it was only a moment ago she laid down her head on the pillow. Lorelai climbed out of bed to the sound of Clara's pained cries and reached for her robe before heading out of the room.

"What's going on?" she asked Jess as she came rushing down the staircase. He was rocking the crying Clara back and forth with an worried expression on his face. He looked like had been sleeping to. The hair was messy and he was clad in running shorts and a t-shirt.

"I don't know. She just started crying. It sounds like she's in pain."

Lorelai reached the end of the staircase and hurried across the floor to where he was standing. Clara's face was bright red and wet with tears.

"She is a little hot, but I don't think it's fever," Lorelai said, checking Clara's temperature. "We should strip her of her clothes. Maybe the diaper too, she could have a rash."

They worked together to strip Clara. Jess held her while Lorelai gently removed the bodysuit and diaper. They found no signs of a rash anywhere. With the baby naked and screaming worse than before, Jess looked at Lorelai for help.

"Should we call the doctor?"

"I think it's best, I'll get the phone."

Lorelai turned to leave, but turned back again when Clara all of a sudden turned quiet. The two adults looked at the baby curiously, wondering why she had quieted. Then, with a gurgling sound, the baby exploded in both ends.

"AH!"

Jess pushed Clara away from him, but he wasn't fast enough. Top to toe drenched in baby puke and poop he gave his daughter a dangerous glare.

"You planned this, didn't you?" he hissed.

Clara giggled, suddenly feeling all better, and made puppy-eyes. In the hallway Lorelai tried to bite back a fit of laughter. The scene was hilarious and Jess' face miserable. Now they knew what had been bugging Clara.

Lorelai put down the phone and walked over to them just as Jess made a damage controlled of his soiled clothing. Surprisingly as it was, nothing of Clara's fluids had ended up on the floor. She took Clara from his hands.

"Take the shower upstairs. The washing machine is there. I'll clean up Clara for you."

Jess nodded in thanks and headed to the staircase. Grabbing his bag on his way out, he was soon disappeared to the floor above. When he was gone, Lorelai turned to Clara who looked very pleased with herself.

"Aren't you a naughty little girl? Pooping on you father like that." She tickled Clara's foot and the little girl giggled. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up, Stinky."

Half an hour later, Clara was cleaned up, dressed and half asleep in Lorelai's arms when Jess returned down to the living room. The sight of him knocked the breath out of Lorelai's lungs. He was gorgeous. The dark hair, still damp from the shower, had been pushed back and his skin seemed to be glowing. He had no shirt on, revealing a deliciously muscular chest. A string of dark hair circled his navel and disappeared under the hem of his grey sweat pants, inviting to sinful thoughts of what was hidden there. Lorelai felt certain female parts of her body awake from their slumber. Miss Patty was right. Jess had grown into a fine young man.

"Sorry, it seems I forgot to bring another t-shirt," Jess said and flung his bag onto the couch. "The washing machine is soon done."

"No worries," Lorelai stuttered, cheeks flushed.

Thankfully Jess didn't seem to notice it, he only had eyes for his daughter.

"How is she?"

Lorelai had to shake her head to get rid of the naughty fantasies beginning to grow in head.

"All better. I think the little 'accident' earlier did the trick." Lorelai handed Clara over to Jess and quickly wrapped the robe closer to her body so he wouldn't see how her body reacted to his nakedness. Jess took his daughter and let her nuzzle up close. For some strange reason, Lorelai envied the little girl.

"The washing machine has a few minutes left to go before it's done. Clara and I will take care of it if you want to go back to sleep."

Having no good reason to linger downstairs, Lorelai told them good night and went to the staircase. Before starting the climb, she threw one last lustful look at Jess' bare chest and sighed. Yes, a very fine young man indeed.

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AUTHOR (again): A little funny, a little, a little WTF?! Just the way we luv our fan fictions. Please don't forget to review!


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls.

AUTHOR: Thanks for all the great reviews. I appreciate it. :)

* * *

 **Chapter 8 – "I love you, little honey pie"**

Jess woke up with a groan when a ray of sunlight hit his face. It was morning and judging by the golden shimmer, it was an early on at that. Yawning widely, he became aware of the soft weight pressing on his chest. Jess opened his eyes reluctantly, but was relieved to find Clara sound asleep on top of him.

His little bundle of joy looked so peaceful where she nuzzled his chest, it brought a smile to his face. Last night's trails were gone. The only struggle Jess had left was the one that freed his nipple from his daughter's grip. Clara had an excellent skill of finding and grabbing hold of his nipple through any kind of fabric whenever he let her sleep on his chest. It was why he these day sported bruised nipple, so tender and sore even the soft fabric of his t-shirts could feel like sandpaper. This morning was no exception. Clara had his left nipple in a tight grip that had him wincing of pain when he gently released himself. He now knew what breast feeding women went through.

It was a small price to pay though and one Jess was willing to pay if it meant Clara had a good night's sleep. She was his everything. There wasn't a thing he wouldn't do for her to keep her safe and well.

Jess placed a small kiss at the top of the baby's head and took a moment to inhale the baby's scent. It was moment like this he enjoyed and lived for. The tranquility he felt inside was a new feeling to him. He drank of it in large thirsty gulps. This was something he hadn't been spoiled with during his upbringing. This was all Clara's doing, he knew that. She did things to him that made him wonder sometimes if he was looking after her or if it was the other way around.

It wasn't a secret that Clara had come to him at a point in his life where he balanced on a very thin edge. One wrongly placed step could have sent him falling so deep into the darkness that he never could have climbed back up again. Clara had showed him the light and she had brought him safely across the pitch black pit to safer grounds.

Jess smiled for himself. Clara was so much like her mother in that sense. Stella had come to him too at a time of need, when things had started to get very wrong with Jimmy. Jess had sought the solitude of the library, but had come out again a changed man. He had left the place on the threshold to a whole new life.

Reflecting on last night's events, Jess couldn't believe he had been crying in front Lorelai, to the mother of one of his exes. It had been embarrassing and at the same time liberating. Yet another thing Clara had done to him - she had turned him into a crybaby. Before Clara and Stella, Jess couldn't even remember the last time he had cried, probably when he was still very young. He had learned at an early age that crying got him nowhere so he had stopped doing that. Now it seemed, even the smallest things could bring out tears from his eyes. He had watched a romcom back in Philly and had cried his heart out. That was how emotional he had become.

Jess let out another sigh. He had cried at Stella's funeral. He and Stella's sister had leaned against each other and emptied the pools of salty water inside them. Jes was going to be forever grateful to his friends for looking after Clara that day and the day after. He had been a mess afterwards. He still was a mess. Last night's emotional outburst was a proof of that, and yet he preferred the outburst before the constant pain he had bore inside during his teenage years. The only good thing coming out of it was that the pain and the anger had pushed him into Luke's care. With Luke the pain had not been so tangible. During his stay in Stars Hollow he had begun healing, he had almost started to think of the town as his home, but of course he had been to messed up inside to make it last. He had pushed Luke to the edge until Luke had no other choice but to kick him out.

Jess choked down a yawn and caressed Clara over the back. Clara stirred and made a muffled sound, but did not wake. It was still a surreal thought to think that he had helped creating her. She had grown so much since the birth. Jess had been terrified at the end of Stella's pregnancy that Stella's fluctuating health would have a negative affect on Clara's health. It had turned out to be quite the opposite. The doctors had told him Clara was an unusually strong and healthy baby. During her first five months of life, she hadn't been sick not once.

Clara hiccuped in her sleep which brought a smile to Jess' lips.

"I love you, little honey pie," he whispered and nuzzled her hair with his nose.

It was insane how much he could love someone that small. It was insane how he could love this much at all considering his loveless childhood. Liz was still oblivious of becoming a grand mother and Jess intended to keep it that way. At least for a little while longer. Clara was his pride and joy, he didn't want Liz to be a part of that. Not yet. And he definitely didn't want T.J to be a part of it. Jess hadn't talked to the guy since his last visit in Stars Hollow two years ago, but according to Luke the guy hadn't improved at all.

The only one Jess wanted in Clara's life was the man Jess hoped to get back into his own life - Luke. Jess had no idea of where to begin telling Luke about everything that had happened while he had been away, but Jess knew he wouldn't leave town until he had gotten an answer from Luke to his question. If Luke wanted Jess back or not.

A sudden knock on the door woke up Jess from this thoughts. At first he planned to ignore it, thinking it must be Kirk with the mail - Lorelai had warned him about Kirk taking it upon him to deliver Lorelai's mail personally the night before; but as the knocking continued Jess saw no other choice but to gently put down Clara beside him and get off the couch.

Tiptoeing over to the staircase to not wake his precious princess, Jess called up the stair: "Lorelai? Lorelai, are you awake?"

A muffled sound was heard, but quieted.

"Lorelai!"

"Tell him to go away!"

Lorelai was obviously not a morning person, Jess wasn't surprised. He knew the Gilmore girls well enough to know that if any of them was fit to get up early, it was Rory.

Another knock, this one harsh, forced Jess think fast. Except for Kirk, he only knew one other person who could be this keen on checking in on them.

"Coming, Luke!" he said as another knock threaten to knock the door in.

Jess glanced at Clara to make sure she was still asleep where he had left her. She was. He reached for the doorknob, ready to tell his uncle an excuse to his somewhat undressed appearance, but it wasn't Luke standing outside the door.

"Mrs Gilmore," Jess gasped in shock.


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls.

AUTHOR: Hehe, had so much fun making my Halloween costume I almost for got to post this chapter. Thanks for all the reviews on chapter 8. You are the best! Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 9 – "I did not sleep with Jess!"**

Lorelai's eyes fluttered open at the sound of Jess calling her name. Something in his voice alerted her to trouble downstairs and she scrambled out of bed in a hurry. Bedclothes flying everywhere as she rose. Her maternal instinct got her thinking of Clara and the drama from the night before. She feared the little girl had fallen ill again. Coming down the stairs, Lorelai was surprised to find Clara peacefully asleep on the couch. No signs of being ill at all. Instead the drama was in the hallway.

Jess stood at the front door. Shirtless, barefoot and hair pointing in all directions. The sweatpants hung low on his hips, revealing the colorful elastic band of his underwear. Lorelai let her eyes linger on the soft pale skin for a brief moment before she forced her eyes to climb up to Jess face. His eyes read desperation. A quiet plead for help. When Lorelai shifted her attention to the person standing in the door behind him, Lorelai understood his reaction.

 _Crap!_

"Mom, what are you doing here?" The stutter came out shrill and shrieky, an unflattering noise that make even a saint sound guilty. Lorelai would have made a face at herself if her mother had been scrutinizing her at that very moment, not that it would have made a difference. The look on Emily's face told Lorelai her mother wasn't pleased with what she saw. Her mother threw Jess a quick glance as if to confirm something she had already been suspecting.

"I came to invite you to a spa day at the country club. The DAR celebrates international women's day by inviting all the members and their daughters to a luxurious spa treatment. Your father was been bugging me all day yesterday, insisting that I should apologize and make amends for the things I told you at the diner party. So, here I am. Though I wouldn't have come if I knew you had..." Emily glanced at Jess again with a very disapproving look. "… company!"

Lorelai wanted to sink through the floor. She knew perfectly well how this must look to her mother. Her and Jess alone in the house on a Sunday morning. Neither of them properly dressed and with tousled hair. Jess with swollen nipples... Wait, what? Lorelai blinked and had to look again to make sure she hadn't imagine it. Why was Jess' nipples swollen and sore?

Oh, god! Lorelai's eyes widened in horror as the realization struck her. Her mother must think She had done that to Jess. An indubitable evidence of a very busy night.

"It's not what you think!" Lorelai blurted out in desperation. Jess must have sensed what had caused her reaction for he quickly covered himself by crossing his arms in front of him.

"Oh? And what do I think?" Emily asked coldly, silently demanding an explanation for this scandalous behavior.

Lorelai had to think fast. This was so not how she had pictured this morning to turn out. She had imagined a quiet, peaceful morning snoozing in bed while Jess and Clara got ready to head back to the diner. By the time Lorelai came downstairs they would be on their way out or better, already gone. The morning she had imagined, had not thrown awkwardness and humiliation her way. To cut it short, she had pictured a morning completely opposite to what this one had become.

Why of all mornings had her mother chosen this one to throw her a spontaneous visit? Had Lorelai done something yesterday to offend someone up above? If she had she surely hoped they were having a good laugh right now. Otherwise, this was so not worth it.

Knowing very well how her fight with her mother usually went, Lorelai knew she didn't want Jess to become a witness to one. Whatever she felt towards him, there was no doubt the boy had suffered enough from dysfunctional families to not deserve having to sit through this one.

"Jess, could you...?" Lorelai began, but the words failed her. Jess, however, understood what she wanted to say.

"Evaporate?" he suggested and smiled relieved. "Gladly."

He wasted no time getting away from them. Lorelai waited until he was gone to the kitchen before she turned to her mother.

"Porch. Now!"

Before Emily could open her mouth to make a protest, Lorelai shoved her mother out through the door, grabbing a coat to cover her half dressed body with on the way out.

"Don't push me, Lorelai. I can walk myself. There is no need to use force," complained her mother.

Lorelai bit back a snotty reply and used the energy to wrap her coat tightly around her body instead. It was a chilly morning. Goosebumps turned the skin on her arms and legs rough. Suddenly she was glad she had brought the coat with her. It was bad enough her mother had already jumped to the wrong conclusions about Jess' stay. Lorelai didn't need to add extra fuel to fire by trying to explain the real reason with nipples hard as rocks from the cold underneath the silky nightclothes. It would hardly improve the credibility of what she was trying to say.

"Jess and I," Lorelai began stuttering, "it's not what you think..."

She was cut off by her mother.

"What do you think you are doing with that boy, Lorelai? Have you no shame? He is only a boy!" Before Lorelai could had a chance to defend herself, Emily continued: "Here I came hoping to put the Friday's tedious dispute behind us, and what do I find? My own daughter in bed with a boy half her age. It's scandalous!"

"It's not like that, mom!" Lorelai folded her arms underneath her chest. . .

"Then tell me what it is because I honestly don't understand this. Have men your age become too hard to come by these days? Is it too much trouble for you to find yourself your own man, is that why you have gone back to high school and picked up one of your daughter's ex-boyfriends? Frankly, I think you picked up the wrong one. That other boy was much nicer than this one. I don't know what Rory saw in him, but I guess like mother, like daughter. Thank god, at least Rory grew out of it. You certainly haven't." Emily sighed shook her head. "How old is this boy? Does his mother even know he's out?"

"Jess is 21, mom," defended Lorelai herself. "And I didn't pick him up!"

Lorelai tried to put extra emphasis on the last words to let her mother know how ridiculous the accusations were. Unfortunately, Emily chose to misinterpret.

"Ah, so you let yourself get swooned by a hormonal teenager? Well, that makes it alright then!" Emily rolled her in the dismissive way only Emily Gilmore could. "My daughter - Stars Hollow's very own cougar. I can already hear the ladies gossip about it at the club."

"I did not sleep with Jess, mom." Wow, wasn't that six words Lorelai never thought she would hear herself way. "Jess needed a place to crash for the night so I offered him one. That's all!"

Again she found herself speaking to deaf ears.

"I don't know where you father and I went wrong with you upbringing. Was it the good schools? The pretty clothes? The Barbie dolls we got you every single birthday until you were twelve? Please, tell me for I am clueless. Is this revenge for not giving you the Ken Barbie doll for your tenth birthday?"

"I did not sleep with Jess!" Lorelai could feel herself loosing the battle over the situation. How had it become like this?

"There now, Lorelai, there is no need to get wind up. I might be old, but I'm neither deaf nor senile. I remember what it was like to be young and full life."

Lorelai snorted. "Like what? When the dinosaurs walked the earth and you still had hormones?"

Emily gave her an angry glare.

"Don't be rude! It's not my fault you've been caught in a compromising situation; sauntering about in a. . . what do you even call this thing?" Emily motioned towards the silky top peaking out from underneath Lorelai's coat. "Cloth of lust? Seriously, you should go and put on something more decent. I don't care if women buy these. . . cloths. . . to spice things up between the sheets, but it's not appropriate wear it outside the bedroom. Especially not for women your age. What will the neighbours think?"

"Women my age," Lorelai repeated and felt the whole force of the insult hit her in the gut. "Gee, thanks mom. I'll remember that one. Now I feel so much better about myself."

Lorelai shot her mother a killing look.

"Have you ever considered that I would not be standing out here dressed like this if you hadn't shown up on my doorstep? Seriously, what are you even doing here this early? It's 7 am in the morning. Normal people sleeps at this hour."

"I am not going to spoil a perfectly good day by staying in bed like the normal people, as you call them." Emily was offended. "I had plans to make this a fun day at the club. I apologize that I was naive enough to think that you might enjoy it to. Clearly, we have very different views of fun!"

Lorelai bit back the urge to scream and settled for a low growl.

"For the last time, mom - I did not sleep with Jess!"

"You keep saying that, but the evidence states otherwise."

When Emily made a gesture towards Lorelai's clothes, Lorelai had it. The frustration burned to hot the blood in her veins boiled. She had signed up for this when she agreed to help Luke yesterday. This wasn't fair. At all!

"Jess is visiting Luke, but his daughter - oh yes, he has a daughter now - got sick last night so Luke asked me to take them in to not risk contaminating the diner. Jess and Clara slept on the couch while I stayed upstairs. Jess has no shirt on because Clara threw up on him and he forgot to bring a spare. I am wear this 'cloth of lust' because I haven't bothered to the laundry, so this happens to the only thing I've got left to out on. And because it freakin' 7 am in the morning and sensible people are asleep!"

Her mother stood quiet for a time after that. Her eyes had grown wide during Lorelai's outburst and now they threaten to pop.

"That boy is a father?" Emily said at last.

Lorelai drew a sigh of relief. She had managed to convince her mother.

"Yes, a baby girl."

As if to help her prove her point, Clara gave up a loud cry. The two Gilmore women watched through the window, Jess hurry to return to the living room to tend to his daughter. He had put on the T-shirt and jeans from last night, now fresh and clean but probably not entirely dry yet.

Lorelai felt a warm fuzzy feeling coming from the inside her stomach and spreading out through her limbs, as she watched Jess cuddle his daughter back to joy. They were so cute together.

"But he is so young," whispered Emily next to her. "Who's the mother?"

"Some girl called Stella. She's dead, I'm afraid. Cancer."

"Oh!"

For once in her life, Emily didn't know what to say so they kept watching the young father and his daughter in silence. There was something so serene and beautiful, yet tragic at the same time, about the scene. Lorelai wondered what kind of girl Stella had been. Surely she must have been something extraordinary to be able to turn a messed up kid like Jess around and turn him into such a devoted parent.

Jess suddenly looked up and caught them both staring at him. He adjusted his grip around Clara to be able to motion to them to come inside.

"I've made coffee," he told them through the glass.

Blushing, both Gilmore girls did as they were told. Jess came to greet them in the hallway.

"Mrs Gilmore, there is someone I'd like you to meet. This is my daughter Clara."

Lorelai watched the expression in her mother's face change when Jess placed Clara in Emily's arms. The strict tension around Emily's eyes and mouth, the tension that always seemed so condescending to Lorelai, disappeared and a smile started to grow in it's stead. It was a genuine smile, one that Lorelai had only seen on scarse occasions. One of those time had been when Lorelai had drawn her mother a picture when she was little. One of the few time she could remember her mother being proud of her.

Clara didn't mind being placed in the care of a stranger. She cooed and looked at Emily with beaming, wondrous eyes. In her five-months head, Emily was something ravishing.

Lorelai caught Jess' eyes over Clara's head and mouthed a silent 'thank you'. She didn't know how much he had heard of the argument (probably everything!), but she would be forever grateful to him for using his own daughter as an olive branch between Lorelai and her mother. Perhaps her mother would be proud of her for helping a young father and his daughter out in a time of need, despite 'cloths of lust' and all.


	10. Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls.

AUTHOR: Thanks for all the comments on last chapter. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to thank you all personally - so much to do, so little time... I say my thanks by releasing the last four chapters on this fanfiction. Hope you'll enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 10: "What about Rory?"**

Jess poured Mrs Gilmore a cup of coffee while elegantly balancing Clara on his hip at the same time. After getting aquainted with Mrs Gilmore for few minutes, Clara had insisted to be returned to her father.

She was hungry and she knew by now food was only going to come if she harassed her father by whimpering like a wounded dog. Jess was therefore holding a watchful eye on the feeding bottle heating on the stove as he moved around the kitchen to get breakfast ready.

Mrs Gilmore watched his every move. Since Clara had been taken away from her, she had been scrutinizing him from top to bottom, which had Jess feeling very uncomfortable and self-aware. He couldn't help feeling judged.

"I must say, fatherhood becomes you very well, Mr Mariano," Emily said as Jess put down the coffee pot on the table.

"Thank you," he replied politely, although somewhat surprised. He had not been expecting this kind of praise from a woman like Mrs Gilmore. "Please, call me Jess. Mr Mariano sound so… _grown up!_ "

Mrs Gilmore nodded.

"Alright, Jess it is."

Jess returned to the stove to check up on the status of the feeding bottle without permission to call Mrs Gilmore by her first name. Not that he had expected it to. Mrs Gilmore was not like the people he usually hung around with in Philadelphia, who thought titles and formalities belonged to the past.

"I didn't know you were back in Stars Hallow… Jess."

It wasn't a question, but Jess felt obliged to answer it anyway.

"I haven't been here long. I came here Friday night. I felt it was about time I came by and paid a visit to Uncle Luke."

"The diner owner, right?"

Jess nodded and checked the temperature on the bottle. Deciding it was warm enough, but not too hot, he turned off the stove and picked up the bottle from the skillet. After shaking the water dripplets of it, he sat down opposite Mrs Gilmore at the table. Clara took a sturdy grip around the bottle with both hands and started eating before Jess had adjusted her properly in his lap.

The silence and Mrs Girlmore's prying eyes made him uncomfortable and he wished that Lorelai would hurry to come down stairs. What was taking her so long anyway? To pass time, he started to talk.

"I have to admit, I'm not settled into this lifestyle yet. I never thought a baby could be so much work. There is always something she needs of me."

Mrs Gilmore smiled.

"Parenting is one of the hardest jobs there is, but also the most rewarding. It takes time to get used to it."

"I suppose being forced to do it on your own isn't making it easier." Jess, reply sounded more gloomy than he had intended it to. He really needed to stop being this emotional. Like ASAP!

"Lorelai told me Clara's mother died of cancer. My condolences."

"Thank you." Jess couldn't bring himself to meet Mrs Gilmore's gaze. Instead he kept his focus on Clara who was already halfway through the bottle's content.

"It must have been difficult for you," Mrs Gilmore said a while later.

"It is still," Jess confessed. "There are days when I still can't believe she's gone. What saddens me the most is that Clara will never know her mother. I at least got to spend some time with Stella before she died."

Mrs Gilmore could sympathize with that.

"I was thirty eight when I lost my mother," she told him. "I cried for a week, and I still cry at times when I visit her grave. Losing one's mother is never easy, but to not even have the slightest memory of her… I would never have endured it."

Jess thought of Liz. Would he cry if she died? Would he miss her? He hoped a part of him would, but he wasn't sure. There was so much bad blood between them.

Across the table, Mrs Gilmore seemed to be lost in thoughts too. When Jess peered at her, she didn't notice it. Something in her eyes told him she was thinking of Lorelai.

"She would cry, you know."

Mrs Gilmore looked up.

"Who would do what?"

"Lorelai, if you died. She would cry."

"Of relief, I am sure." Mrs Gilmore rolled her eyes.

"No." Jess adjusted Clara who in her eager to get fed was close to sliding of his lap. "If you died Lorelai grieve you."

Mrs Gilmore didn't look convinced so Jess continued.

"I don't mean to stick my nose somewhere it isn't wanted, but I heard your argument before. You and Lorelai argue a lot, don't you?"

The look on Mrs Gilmore's face was the only reply he needed.

"It's a shame, I think. I wish I had a better relationship with my mother. Do you know what she did for my seventh birthday? My mother, I mean. Not Lorelai."

"No."

"She forgot about it. And my tenth too. The eleventh I don't remember, but from the day I turned twelve I spent all my birthdays at the library. It didn't seem like much point sticking around waiting for something that wouldn't happen, if you know what I mean."

Mrs Gilmore didn't know.

"She forgot about your birthday?"

Jess nodded.

"Why?"

"That's the way my mom is, I guess. Maybe she had a new boyfriend or something. Whenever she meets someone new she tends to get her head stuck up in the clouds and forget about everything else. She doesn't know about Clara yet."

He wasn't sure what shocked Mrs Gilmore the most, the fact that a women could forget about her son's birthday or that he hadn't told his mother about him having a daughter. The look on her face read dismay.

"Lorelai is a great woman though. I wish I had her for a mom. Rory is lucky." He let the words sink in before he continued. "When Luke called her last night to ask if we could stay at the Inn, I was sure she was going to say no. I was a complete jerk to her and Rory when I lived here so I wouldn't have blamed her if she wanted nothing to do with me, but she took me in. In her own home. And she was a great support to me when Clara wasn't doing so well."

"Mr Mariano… Jess!" Mrs Gilmore interrupted him. "Why are you telling me this?"

Jess looked up and saw her directly in the eyes.

"Because I wanted to let you know what a great person your daughter is. It seems to me that you two forget the good parts sometimes because you are so caught up with the bad. I just wanted to remind you of Lorelai's good sides."

Mrs Gilmore was silent for a long time. Clara finished her breakfast and Jess picked her up in his arms again to burp her. It wasn't difficult. If there was one part of this parenting thing he had nailed it was burping his daughter. She would do great playing beer-pong with the lads some day!

When Mrs Gilmore eventually spoke it was with a softer voice than Jess had expected.

"Thank you."

Jess, who had his back at the table, turned. Mrs Gilmore looked up at him.

"I needed to hear that."

Jess smiled.

"You're welcome."

Clara cooed and held out her tiny hands towards Mrs Gilmore. Now that she was fed she was ready to explore again. Jess handed her over and sat down at the table again. What was taking Lorelai so long?

"I'm curious, Jess," Mrs Gilmore said some time later. "How do you manage being a single father? How do you support yourself?"

Finally a subject that didn't risk starting world war III!

"I work at a small publishing house in Philadelphia called Truncheon. It's me and a couple of friends running it."

"Is it good business?"

"Very good. We'll have a big release party for one of our authors next month." Jess, who suddenly realized what Mrs Gilmore really was asking, added: "But I couldn't have done it without Stella's sister. She takes care of Clara while I'm at work. She has a kid of her own whom she stays home with so she insisted upon to take on Clara as well. Clara is the only relative Andrea has left now that Stella is dead. And I'm grateful she has agreed to help me. I don't know how I would have managed otherwise, probably come back here and live with Luke."

"I see." Mrs Gilmore pried curiously at him. "And Rory?"

Jess blinked. Confused over the sudden change of subject.

"What about Rory?"

"How does Rory fit into your new life?"

Jess was at loss. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Mrs Gilmore?"

"You may have had your way with Lorelai, but you don't fool me, young man." Mrs Gilmore suddenly had him strained to the chair with her eyes. "I know you still have feelings for Rory. I can see it in your eyes."

Jess fel as if someone had squeezed the air out of his lungs. Where did this come from?

"I haven't seen Rory in two years…" Jess began, but was interrupted.

"Are you still in love with her? Is that why you came back to Stars Hollow? To persuade her to come with you to Philadelphia?"

Thankfully, Jess never had to answer those questions. Lorelai came downstairs the very same moment, putting an abrupt end to the conversation.

"Oh, coffee!" the younger Gilmore woman exclaimed and grabbed the coffee pot to pour herself a cup. The pleased look on her face when she took the first sip told them how oblivious she was to the tension in the room…

As blunt as Mrs Gilmore's questions were, they made Jess think. What did he really feel for Rory and was he ready to let another woman into his life again? Looking at Clara, he corrected himself - their lives.


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls.

* * *

 **Chapter 11: "We want to hear the good stuff!"**

Breakfast was long over and brunch had kicked in, when Lorelai finally locked the door to her house. Jess and Clara stood on the street, waiting for her to join them on the short walk into town. Jess had one hand resting on the handle to the stroller and the other hand protectively wrapped around Clara, who had been very determined to sit in the carrier cradled to his chest instead of in the stroller.

It had been a quite eventful morning. Somewhat bizarre, but surprisingly not entirely unpleasant. Her mother had turned out to be very civil and polite once Lorelai had put something more decent on. Lorelai couldn't even remember the last time she had sit down and talked with her mother without it ending in a big fight. She guessed she had Clara to thank for that. Once Jess had fed and burped her, Clara had been eager to return to Emily's care. With her plush toy to chew on she had been very content in Emily's lap. She hadn't protested when Jess left the room to pack up their belongings, but she had whimpered when Emily had declared she needed to get going if she didn't want to miss her spa treatment.

Deciding she needed a cup of Luke's coffee to get her head straight about this day, Lorelai had offered to tag along to the diner and here they were now. It was a beautiful day outside. Lorelai drank hungrily of the warmth from the sunbeams caressing her face. The wind was soft and cool without being cold. Smiling to herself, Lorelai opened her eyes. Only to find Clara watching her with a thoughtful expression. Lorelai poked the girl's foot in the hopes of getting a smile from the girl, but Clara didn't move a muscle. Something in the pair of dark eyes made Lorelai uncomfortable. She felt scrutinized, like Clara was trying to figure out what she was. Or rather, if Lorelai posted a threat to gaining Jess' attention.

Lorelai blinked surprised. For being so small, Clara's personality was much defined already.

As if marking territory, Clara suddenly yawned. At once Jess' attention was with her. Clara seemed pleased.

"You tired, honey?" he asked her.

Lorelai couldn't help shaking her head. She had to give it to the girl, Clara had her father wrapped around her tiny little finger. If the girl continued this path, the boys in her future high school had better watch out. And any girl daring to challenge Clara about Jess' attention too...

Reaching the park across the road from Luke's, Jess turned to Lorelai.

"I think I'll try and get her to nap. She didn't have much sleep last night. Can you tell Luke I'll be right in?"

Lorelai nodded. They parted way without any goodbyes.

The diner was crowded as expected. Being late Sunday morning, people had either decided to sleep in and have a late breakfast or they had just been at church and now craved for coffee. Lorelai would have qualified to the first alternative if it hadn't been for her mother's unexpected surprise.

Luke was busy taking people's orders so Lorelai took liberty and placed herself on one of the empty chairs close to the cash register. It took nearly ten minutes before Luke approached her.

"The usual?" he grunted.

Lorelai nodded. Anyone else might have been repulsed by Luke's blunt manor, but Lorelai who knew him found it endearing. It was one of the things she liked the most with Luke.

"What, no lectures about the vicious deeds of coffee or even snide comments about how it ruins my body?" she asked him when he put down a large cup with hot black liquid in front of her without a word.

Luke gave her a strange look, but walked off without a word. Lorelai stared blankly after him. What was up with him today? Lorelai frowned and reached for her coffee.

"Busy night, Lorelai?"

The voice startled her and Lorelai winced as she accidently swallowed a mouth full of the hot black liquid. It burned her throat on the way down to her belly. Lorelai turned on her chair and found Miss Patty and Babette standing behind her. No more had she greeted them than she was interrupted by Babette.

"See, I told you. Blushing all over. She is practically glowing."

"Yes, I see." Miss Patty nodded and leaned closer to Lorelai, almost hovering. A wide wicked grin cut her face in half. "So tell me, how was it?"

Lorelai frowned in confusion.

"How was what?"

"The good stuff, sugar. We want to hear the good stuff!" Babette could barely contain her excitement. Miss Patty didn't do much better.

"Don't leave out any details. I haven't been this excited about anything since my romance with Luigi back in -82."

"We want to hear it all!"

Lorelai let her gaze wander from one woman to the other. She was at complete loss to what the two women were talking about.

"What are you talking about?"

As she pronounced the words a suspicion took form inside her. Oh, no..!

"Don't play innocent with us, sugar. We know what you did!"

"Mhm... and we are not leaving until you have told us all about."

Lorelai felt sweat breaking out on her forehead. She licked her lips nervously and stuttered: "I-I really have n-no idea what you are talking about..."

Miss Patty cut her off.

"No hassle, Lorelai, we won't judge."

"Gosh, no! We're all women."

"Mhm, and we've all been there at some point or another. There's nothing to be ashamed off. I've had a few cute ones myself back in the days."

Miss Patty gave her a wink. There was no question what they were talking about.

"You saw me this morning," Lorelai said to Babette who grinned as widely as her face allowed her too.

"Of course, sugar! Don't think you can bring male company home without me knowing so. I saw the cute puppy and his child pondering about on your doorstep last night and I saw that thing you wore this morning..." Babette's eyes twinkled wickedly. "So tell me, did you two play household - the adult version?"

Lorelai wanted to sink through the floor. This was NOT good!

"It's not what you think! We didn't..."

"Oh, it's already 'we'," Miss Patty winked to Babette who giggled like a school girl with a crush. A strange sound considering Babette's whisky rasp voice.

"Tell us the good stuff. We want details. Was he good?"

"Was he nice too look at?"

"Oh, gosh!"

If she could die of embarrassment, Lorelai would have done it right then and there. Suddenly the argument with her mother earlier didn't seem half so bad. She shot a pleading look in Luke's direction to come and help her, but all she received was a blank stare. He'd heard!

Lorelai's belly clenched into a tight knot. How many else in the town had Babette spoken to?

As on cue, the door to the diner flung open and Taylor Doose stepped in.

"Have you heard the news, Luke? Your nephew and Lorelai Gilmore. I always thought she and you... Oh, Lorelai!" The mayor stopped in his tracks when he spotted her behind her Miss Patty and Babette.

Lorelai flashed him a strained smile.

"Hi, Taylor... Kirk," Lorelai said uncomfortably, adding the last part when a familiar goofy face peeked around the chubby mayor.

"Lorelai." Kirk greeted her with a stiff nod.

Taylor didn't wait for any polite phrases to be exchanged before he headed straight to the heart of the matter.

"Is it true Jess spent the night at your house? Only the two of you."

"And Clara." Lorelai refused to give them the upper hand. Judging by the expression on Taylor's face though, she might as well have told them she and Jess were engaged.

"Judgment day is here..." the mayor mumbled, while Babette and Miss Patty giggled.

"Did you have sexual intercourse with this man?"

The blunt question from Kirk surprised Lorelai. Any other day it would have made her burst into to laughter. Kirk's dry and awkward personality made it impossible to put him and something even remotely connected to sex together in the same thought. Just the fact that he used the expression 'sexual intercourse' would have been funny any other day.

But not today when Lorelai was the subject for the topic herself.

"No!" she blurted out in horror and despair.

Kirk blinked, but his face remained in the monotone, slightly dull expression it always had.

"Have you planned to have sexual intercourse with this man?"

"No! I have not slept with Jess, nor will I ever do so." Lorelai looked helplessly at the people surrounding her. "It's not what you think. Clara was sick. Luke didn't want to risk the diner so he asked me if I could take them in. That's all."

"Sure it is," Miss Patty said and winked.

"We believe you," Babette pitched in, but her eyes told a different story.

Taylor, on the other hand, sighed. "If that rogue is to stay here, I will need to upgrade my security system."

"Hey, that's my nephew you're talking about!" Luke, who had been taking orders from one of the table nearby pretending to not be listening in on the conversation, suddenly spun around. "No one gets to call him names or speak badly about him, but me. Is that understood?"

Taylor got a sour face.

"I am just saying that it is in the best interest of everyone in town to know if he is staying or not." Turned to Miss Patty and Babette he whispered: "I'd lock my valuables up right away, before they're gone."

"Still my nephew you're talking about, Taylor."

Lorelai sensed another Luke vs Taylor talk fight coming up. She prepared herself to become invisible. Luke and Taylor fighting could give her a golden opportunity to sneak away unnoticed.

"People wants to know if they will be able to sleep at night, or if that rascal will throw pranks at us in our sleep. People wants to know if they have to hide their baseballs and chalks. People..."

"'People' meaning you," Luke corrected him.

It was Lorelai's cue to evaporate. As Taylor opened his mouth to protest, she slid of her chair and sneaked silently behind Babette's back by pressing her belly hard against the counter.

"Not just me. I speak for the Stars Hollow Association, the Stars Hollow Tourist Board, The Stars Hollow Watch Organization and the Stars Hollow Citizens for a clean Stars Hollow Committee."

"All of which are you!"

Luke was too caught up in his argument with Taylor to notice her slowly making her way to the door. The others stood with their backs against her. Lorelai turned the doorknob as quietly as she could, praying no one would hear the doorbell ring and slipped out onto the street. No one noticed her gone until much later. By then, Lorelai was already half way out of town.


	12. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls.

* * *

 **Chapter 12: "I want to know everything there is to know about this Jess Mariano"**

The park was peaceful at this time of the day. The citizens of Stars Hollow were busy working in their gardens, going grocery shopping or simply gossiping with their neighbors to be out in the park. Jess made the stroller come to a halt by one of the benches. After wrestling Clara out of the carrier, Jess took it off and sat down with his daughter on the bench. The tranquility of the morning struck him almost immediately. There were not many places in Philadelphia one could hear the silence this clearly.

Jess was so caught up in the moment that he didn't notice the fancy sport car driving up the street behind him, nor how it came to a stop when one of its passengers spotted him. He didn't even notice them approach him until they were right behind him and one of them spoke.

"Hey, Dodger!"

Jess felt his heart take a leap and a smile grew on his lips as he recognized the voice. Rory. He turned his head and there she was, looking more beautiful than ever. A blonde man stood behind her. Judging by how close the man stood to Rory, Jess suspected this was Logan.

"Hey there, Rory. Didn't see you there." Jess adjusted his grip around Clara in order to get a hand free to offer the blonde man. "Jess Mariano."

The blonde man took it.

"Logan Huntzberger."

Jess tried to not let his surprise show. A Huntzberger? Rory had done well for herself. Jess couldn't think of anyone in the New York area who didn't know who the Huntzbergers were. The father was a ruthless business man.

The standard phrases were soon cleared out. How are you? What are you doing these days? How's Yale? Where do you live now? Rory was mildly surprised to find out Jess lived in Philadelphia nowadays. After that an uncomfortable silence followed which wasn't broken until Logan spoke up.

"Uhm... I didn't get any breakfast this morning so I'm gonna head over to the diner and grab myself something to eat. Do you want anything, Rory? Coffee?"

Jess could help but to arch an eyebrow. Really? The guy was asking Rory if she wanted a coffee? The daughter of the country's number one coffee addict? Jess wouldn't have been surprised if he found out Lorelai had given Rory coffee instead of breastmilk when she was little.

"Yes, please. Tell Luke Rory wants her usual order."

Logan looked so confused, Jess felt the need of stepping in.

"The grumpy man who will take you order. He's my uncle."

Logan nodded. Rory turned to Jess. "Do you want anything?"

"No, thanks. We're good."

He motioned to Clara who, after deciding Rory and Logan weren't interesting enough, was slowly drifting asleep in his arms. It was something he loved to watch. Her complete trust in him was most satisfying. It made him all warm and fuzzy inside.

Logan left them after giving Rory a soft kiss on the cheek. Jess tried not to feel jealous.

"So this must be Clara. Mom told me about her yesterday when she called," Rory said as she came around the bench to sit down next to him. She pinched Clara lightly on the foot. Clara gave Rory a glare before burring her head into Jess' jacket. Jess chuckled. So small and already bossy. He couldn't help but wonder though why Lorelai had called Rory. Had it been a casual talk or had it been to tell Rory to stay clear from Stars Hollow? If the latter, Lorelai had failed miserably.

"She's so cute. How old is she?"

"She's turning six months in two weeks."

A strange thought crossed Jess' mind. If he hadn't screwed up thing with Rory, they could have been sitting here playing happy family. Clara could have been Rory's. The thought unsettled him more than he had thought it would.

They got talking about everything that had happened since last time they saw each other. Rory told him about Yale and he told her about Stella. When he told her about Truncheon and the book he was currently writing, Rory got all excited and insisted upon him letting her read it. Jess promised that he would send her a copy once it was done, but it wasn't as genuinely meant as he wished it to be. There was something in her eyes when he spoke that made him uncomfortable. It was like she was clinging on to every syllable coming out of his mouth as if her life depended on it. He realized that it did. Rory wanted him to bring up their last encounter, she wanted to know if he meant the words he had said then. Jess tried his best to avoid the subject, but when Rory mentioned shop that had its opening shortly after he had left last time and which she wanted to show him now that he was back, Jess finally had enough.

"Rory!" He interrupted her sharply. "I'm not here to stay."

Rory blinked.

"What do you mean?" She tried to look clueless, but a soft blush gave her away.

"I haven't moved back," he told her in a softer voice. "I'm only here over the weekend to see Luke."

"Oh..." Pain and disappointment swept across Rory's face. Jess knew he had hurt her.

"Look, Rory, I meant those words I said last time I was here. I loved you and a part of me will always love you, but we're not the kids we were. I've changed. You've changed!" He tried to seek eye contact with her, but Rory refused to look at him. "You're at Yale now. Soon you'll be a Yale graduate ready to go out change the world. You don't want to be stuck with some guy you dated in high school and a kid that isn't yours."

"How do you know what I want? Maybe that's exactly what I want." The hurt was evident in Rory's voice. Jess wished he didn't have to say these words, but he knew it was for the best. For all of them.

"I know it isn't what you want. I would never forgive myself if I let you think that is what you want. I love you, Rory, you know I do, but... I loved Stella too. Losing her has been hard. Is still hard. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not ready to make any commitments. I'm not ready to let someone new into my life. I've got Clara to take care. She's the only one I need at moment. Her and Luke."

Rory's face crumbled. She was ready to burst into tears. It was breaking Jess' heart to see, but it was necessary to tell her this to let her know just how much she meant to him.

"Clara is my first priority, Rory. She needs me and I need her. She will always be my first priority. I don't want you to settle for second best. You deserve better than that. You deserve someone who can give you his undivided attention. I'm really sorry I cannot be that guy."

"You won't stay single for the rest of your life..."

Jess sighed. Why did she have to make this so difficult for him?

"You're right, I won't. I will date again, but I don't want you to wait for me because I don't know when I will be ready try it again. It could be next month or next year, but it could also be in ten years. I don't know. I can't think that far head right now. But I know I don't want you to wait for me. That Logan seems to be an alright guy. You look like you two have a good thing going. Don't throw that away because of me. I wouldn't want you to put your life on hold waiting for something that may not happen."

The silence that followed was so thick Jess believed he could cut it through with a knife. Tears were falling down Rory's cheeks. She tried to fight it, but failed. She was crushed.

Jess prayed that this didn't mean the end of their friendship. He hoped she would someday see the sense in it and that he had only done it for her own good. Apart from Stella and Clara, Rory was the one who had meant the most to him. Being with her in his youth had soothed the hurt inside him. For a time he had struggled to get back on track just to be with her. He would be forever grateful for that. He could therefore not sit by and watch as she threw her life away. What kind of friend would he be if he did?

Looking at her now though made him fear she might never speak to him again. He didn't want to think what his life would be if she wasn't in it.

"I'm so sorry, Rory. I never meant to hurt you..."

A small sound escaped Rory's lips, a mix between a sharp inhale and a sob. Rory stood up without even looking at him and cleared her throat.

"Uhm... If Logan comes looking for me, please tell him I've gone to the bookstore. I forgot I promised Paris to by sticky notes."

She walked away before he could respond. Jess watch her go with the feeling inside that a part of him had just died. He followed her with his gaze until she disappeared into the bookstore, just like she said she would. By then Clara had stirred from her sleep and claimed his attention. He placed a small kiss on her forehead to let her know how loved she was. Clara cooed and reached up to touch his face with a tiny little hand as if to soothe him. The sweet gesture made Jess certain he had done the right thing.

* * *

Logan watched his girlfriend talk with young father from across the street. In his hands he held the two take-away coffee mugs he had just bought from the diner. The content was painfully hot against the palms of his hands, but Logan was too preoccupied watching the couple on the bench to really notice it. He had always know there was someone else in Rory's life, someone she didn't want speak of but who was always present. Up until know Logan had never known the name or seen the face of that person, now he had.

"You should watch out for that one, he's poison," a voice suddenly spoke.

Logan turned and found a tall young man standing behind him. The stranger had been watching the couple in the park as well.

"Oh? How so?" Logan asked.

The stranger looked straight at him.

"Because he her from me once and back then he didn't have that cute baby."

Logan frowned thoughtfully.

"Dean, I presume?" Rory had mention her first love once during a game of truth or dare at a party.

The young man nodded.

Logan straightened and turned his back at the park.

"I think we need to have a chat. I want to know everything there is to know about this Jess Mariano."

* * *

AUTHOR: Sorry to all of you who where hoping to see a reunion between Jess and Rory. This just isn't one of those stories. I totally luuuuved the Jess/Rory dynamic in season 2, but felt they lost the charm in season 3. Personally, I didn't feel any connection to Rory after season 2 which is one of the reasons to why I eventually stopped watching Gilmore Girls. Jess, on the other hand, is one of my favorite characters and I liked that he managed to turned his life around. However, one thing I did NOT like is that he is still pining for Rory years after they have broken up. It doesn't feel very realistic to me and that's why I wanted to give him a different ending.

One thing I would have liked to see more of in the show was more Lorelai/Jess situations. Sure Lorelai hates Jess' gutts for being the bad boy he is, but at some level I think she could have connected with him. She, if anyone, should recognise a kid messed up by strange family relations considering what she's been through herself with her own parents. I would have loved to see a Lorelai acting more mature about the matter. But hey, that's just me!


	13. Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls.

* * *

 **Chapter 13: "You read my mind, grandpa!"**

Jess sniffled and wiped his tears with the back of his hand. It was done. He had told Luke about Stella and her tragic death. Luke knew everything now.

It was after lunch rush. The diner was quiet and they were alone. Jess had worked up the courage to have this talk with Luke ever since he got back from his chat with Rory. The image of her face tearing up haunted him and he couldn't shake off the fact that she had wanted him back, but he knew it was for the best. For both of them.

"I had no idea."

Luke had been so shocked by what Jess had told him that he had slowly sit down on one of the chairs while Jess told him the story. By the time Jess had gotten to the part where Stella died, Luke's face had turned into a sickly pale shade. Jess had thought it would be difficult to get words out, but just like the night before the words had come out of his mouth easily once he had worked through the first chocked up sentences. The same went for his tears, once they had broken the barrier there was no stopping them.

Jess reached for a napkin to wipe his cheeks. Gosh, he had become so emotional lately. It wasn't just tears of grief though, it was also of relief. Jess hadn't realized how much he wanted to confide in Luke, how much he needed Luke to support him in this, until he had actually invited the man in. His teenage self would have snorted in contempt at this ridiculous longing for comfort.

He waited for Luke to get over his shock. He didn't have to wait long before Luke stood up and pulled Jess in into the biggest hug Jess had ever received. The gesture made Jess tear up again and he buried his head into Luke's shoulders, for once allowing himself to feel small and vulnerable.

"I'm so sorry, Jess," Luke whispered in his ear, patting him on the head ever so softly. "I had no idea."

Jess couldn't say anything in response. The emotions overwhelmed him and he sobbed like a small child.

"You'll be okay, Jess," Luke continued. "I'm here for you. We'll get through this together."

That only made Jess cry even harder. He sobbed to the point where he could barely breathe, hiccupping every time he tried to inhale. Luke pulled him closer and tried his best to soothe. He wasn't used to having anyone crying his heart out in his arms, but he did the best his could. For Jess, who had never been consoled before it was everything he needed.

Once the tears started to slow down, Jess untangled himself from the embrace.

"I'm so glad Stella made me come here," he sniffled. "It was her idea that I should come here. I guess she knew what I needed better than I did myself."

Luke chuckled and smiled at his nephew. Seeing Jess this vulnerable made his heart ache.

"Women usually do. I'm so sorry I'll never get the chance to meet her. She sounds like an amazing woman."

"She was."

Jess hiccupped and suddenly felt very unsure about the request he was about to make to Luke.

"There is also another reason for me to come here." Jess bit his lips when Luke met his gaze. "Stella and I are wondering if you would like be Clara's grandfather. Stella's parents are dead and I don't trust Liz and Jimmy to be there for her. Will you be there for her?"

Luke's face lit up of pride.

"It would be my honor, Jess."

Luke smiled and Jess smiled back with tears threatening to spill again. Gosh, he really needed to stop being this emotional! It was ruining his reputation!

"Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Jess." Luke reached out and placed a hand behind Jess' neck. "I'm here for you and for Clara." He hesitated for a brief moment, then added: "I've missed you."

Crap! Tears started to flood down Jess' cheeks again.

"I've missed you too, Uncle Luke. I've been meaning to call you so many times, but... And when Stella..."

Luke shook his head and pulled his nephew into another hug.

"You're here now. That's all that matters."

Later on that afternoon, Jess and Luke were busy loading Jess' car with his belongings outside the diner. Now that everything had been resolved between him and Luke, Jess felt the need to return to Philadelphia to deal with other pressing matters. That Clara had fallen asleep before dinner shortened his stay even further. Jess wanted to hit the road and drive as much as possible before she woke up. The journey was long as it was, he want to have it even longer by pulling over every now and then to tend to Clara. Luke was just as sad to see him go as Jess was to be forced to leave so soon. He would have loved to stay another day or two to catch up with his uncle, but he had a job to go to. Catching up would have to be put on hold.

"You should get a new car," Luke remarked after a kick at one of the tires. "This old thing is hardly baby proof."

"It works fine," Jess replied with head inside the car. He was making sure the bags and the stroller were properly secured.

"I see rust here. Before you know it this whole car will be falling apart. And this tire looks pretty worn."

"I'm not buying a new car!" Jess came out of the car. "Do you know how much a car costs these days?"

"I can lend you the money."

"You're not gonna lend me money."

"I have money."

"I'm sure you do, but you are still not lending me any money."

"Why not? You'll get a new car. I'll even let you buy a black one."

Jess gave his uncle a glare.

"You're not buying me a new a car."

He walked around the car and opened the door to the backseat. Luke followed him with his eyes.

"How did you plan to take Clara to her violin lessons and ballet classes if you don't have a car?"

Jess shot straight up.

"Who says she gonna take violin lessons?"

"I am."

"She's not gonna play the violin or do ballet."

"Yes, she is."

"No! She's not some spoiled rich kid. She's my daughter. If anything, she's gonna play the drums and dance hip-hop."

Luke snorted.

"That won't get her into an Ivy League school."

Jess stared baffled at his uncle.

"Who says she's going to an Ivy League school?"

"Her grandfather. I've also checked up on kindergartens in Philadelphia. You may want to consider moving to a better neighborhood. I wrote down a couple of names of well renowned kindergartens on a paper and put it in your bag. You should check them out once you get back. The sooner we start prepare Clara for Ivy League the better."

Jess stared at his uncle, mouth open. Was he really being serious? A shadow of a smile in Luke's face made Jess realized his uncle was only mocking him.

"Very funny!" Jess muttered and closed the car door quietly to not wake Clara. "Are you really going to be this much of a pain in the ass from now on?"

"When it concerns my granddaughter, yes. You should know I take this responsibility very seriously."

Jess groaned. In his head, he could hear Stella laughing at him and saying he deserved everything he had coming. He packed the last few things and checked that the emergency bag with Clara's toys and diapers stood easily accessible from the driver's seat.

"So..." Luke said behind him. Suddenly sounding unsure. Jess turned around and found his uncle standing with his hands deep down in his pockets. "You and Lorelai seems to have buried the hatchet."

Jess shrugged.

"Yes, she's really great once you get to know her. And she's been fed with coffee." Jess chuckled, remembering the pleased look on Lorelai's face when had taken the first sip of the coffee he had made her this morning.

"She is a coffee addict," Luke quietly agreed.

Jess frowned. There was something wrong with Luke. Something Jess couldn't put his finger on.

"Something's up, Uncle Luke?"

Luke seemed to dread what he was about ask.

"I don't suppose you and her... uhm... I wouldn't blame you if you did..."

"What are you talking about?" Jess had no clue to what was bugging Luke.

"You and Lorelai, did you... last night... Babette said..." Luke couldn't get the words out. He didn't have to. Jess suddenly realized what his uncle was trying to ask him.

"Jeez, no, Luke!" Jess exclaimed horrified. "Me and Lorelai? Seriously? No way! She's Rory's mom. That would be weird in so many different ways. I would never do that to you, Luke!"

A sharp red color appeared on Luke's neck and cheeks.

"I wouldn't blame you if you and her had... You spent the night there and all."

"Taking care of Clara, yes!"

Jess couldn't believe this. Did is uncle trying insinuate that he and Lorelai...? Jess shivered. He did so not want to have those images in his head.

"Jeez, Luke, I don't know what you do when someone offers you a place to stay for the night but I don't jump into bed with them to show them my gratitude!"

Jess was pleased to see Luke squirm at these words.

"There is nothing going on between me and Lorelai, I promise. You shouldn't pay so much attention to what Babette and Miss Patty say. When did you even start listen to what they say anyway? No wait, don't tell me. I want to keep the image of grumpy old Luke in my mind." Jess gave his uncle a reassuring smile. "There is nothing between me and Lorelai."

Luke nodded, reassured but very embarrassed.

"Will you come to visit again sometime?" he asked to switch subject into something less embarrassing.

Jess adjusted Clara's seat belt so it wouldn't get uncomfortable for her before he answered his uncle.

"Yeah, about that. I was actually wondering if you wanted to come and visit us in Philly next month. There is this thing at Truncheon. It would be nice to show you where I work and so..."

Luke couldn't contain his joy. This was more than what he had been hoping for.

"I'd like that very much, Jess."

Jess grinned.

"Great, I'll send you an invitation."

Jess closed the door to the passenger's seat and sighed. This was it. Time to say goodbye.

"Well, I'll better get going. There's a lot of road to cover and I want to make most of it before Clara wakes up."

Luke nodded.

"Yeah, that's probably best. Drive safe."

The two men stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then Luke took the initiative to a hug by holding out his arms. Jess smiled and accepted the geasture.

Luke's warmth and pats on the back felt so good, it was most reluctant Jess pulled away from him a moment later. For the first time in months, Jess didn't feel so alone anymore. If Stella had seen them standing here, hugging, outside the diner she would have rolled her eyes at them and called them emotionally constipated. The thought made Jess chuckle as he headed around the car.

With his hand on the door handle he stopped and looked at Luke again.

"Lorelai is a great woman. I understand why you have cared so much about her all these years. Just an advice from someone who recently lost someone dear: Tell her how you feel. If you don't, someone else might take her away from here. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life alone wondering 'what if'...?"

Before Luke could answer, Jess dived into the driver's seat and closed the door behind him. The engine came to life with a roar when he turned the key.

Lorelai came around the corner of the diner just in time to see Jess drive off, leaving a very forlorn looking Luke behind on the sidewalk.

"You think he'll be alright?" Luke asked her without taking his eyes off the car.

Lorelai saw the car take a turn at the next crossing and disappear between the buildings.

"Yeah, I think he'll be alright," she said and smiled.

Luke threw one last glance at the spot where Jess and his car had disappeared before he turned to Lorelai.

"Perhaps Madame fancies a coffee?"

Lorelai grinned.

"You read my mind, grandpa!"

* * *

AUTHOR: The End!


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